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Volume 38 #33 • January 24, 2024
We’ve had complaints
The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) sure did stir up a lot of complaints to The Echo, given their inflammatory and inaccurate statements in their page 5 advertisement last week.
There is no evidence that Hamas is responsible for all Gazan deaths, for example, and the rest of their claims around the Middle East peace process are contested – at best.
But that’s free speech.
It’s easy to say you support it, but harder as a publisher to actually follow through with it.
So who are the AJA (www.jewishassociation.org.au)?
Despite claiming they do not affiliate with any political party, their members are linked to far-right-wing think tank IPA, and the Liberal Party.
AJA tweet Jan 17
On January 17, the AJA tweeted
their Echo ad with the statement:
‘Byron Bay is known as a hot spot
for left-leaning activist types. The
local paper, The Byron Shire Echo,
is widely read and often contains
anti-Israel content. AJA decided to
take out a half page ad and share
some facts. The ad was generously
facilitated by Michael Burd. What
do you think of the AJA ad?’
Well here’s what we think:
The AJA is an organisation that should not be taken seriously, because it only promotes one-sided warped and dangerous views.
It is simply untrue to imply that Israel is an innocent bystander/victim in the unfolding clusterfuck.
Their ad appeared designed to divide rather than inform.
Unlike most mainstream media, The Echo is independent and contains a range of views from its readers and contributors.
Saying The Echo ‘often contains anti-Israel content’ is like saying that those who criticise Israel are antiSemite, or are ‘self-loathing Jews’.
As a society, aren’t we past such stupid school-yard bullying?
The AJA appears more aligned with war-mongering types, like Israeli PM, Bibi Netanyahu, than with those seeking genuine peace.
Netanyahu has forged a hardright coalition to remain in power, yet faces much criticism from within Israel over his attempts to curb the powers of the judiciary, for example. Netanyahu also faces court on charges of corruption, and it appears he needs this war to stay in power. There is no two-state solution with Netanyahu.
As for Australian mainstream media (especially Newscorp), they appear ‘state captured’ – that is, they take paid junkets to Israel and subsequently write favourably about Israel’s policies.
By contrast, Israel’s own media is often critical of its government, and there appears more freedom to report without fear or favour in Israel than here in Australia.
ABC journalist, Antoinette Lattouf, was recently sacked after posting a Human Rights Watch video describing Israel’s starvation of Gaza civilians. It’s alleged that the national broadcaster took action after complaints from ‘Jewish lobbyists’.
The Echo is not aligned with either side of the Israel and Palestine conflict.
It’s all too easy to shoot the messenger.
Instead, genuine attempts at peace are required by ‘leaders’ if this intractable ongoing disaster has any hope of resolution.
The Australian Jewish Association (AJA), like any extreme organisation on both sides of this conflict, are not helping that cause.
Hans Lovejoy, editor
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Letter to the Editor, 24 January 2024, p.12:
I live in Byron Bay and always look forward to reading The Echo. I was beyond shocked and horrified at seeing the Zionist propaganda advertisement on page 5 by the Australian Jewish Association (AJA). I certainly didn’t expect this in a Northern Rivers local newspaper.
As a non-practising Jewish woman who is completely appalled at what is happening in Gaza, due to the actions of Israeli leaders and IDF, I’m so disappointed with your choice to accept this advertisement.
Gaza has been under control by Israel for a very long time. They control all access into and out of Gaza with multiple checkpoints for children, women and men. The IDF shoots children throwing stones at them.
I don’t condone the actions of Hamas on 7 October, 2023. Killing civilians is not okay. However, the claims of beheading, rape and burning babies are not verified. Israel’s response was, and is, reprehensible and repugnant. Indiscriminate bombing of civilians and infrastructure is against humanitarian laws. Israel are committing war crimes and genocide against a race of people displaced in 1948 and harassed since then.
Entire families have been wiped out. Journalists, UN aid workers and medical staff are being killed by the IDF. No one is safe in Gaza.
The occupied (by Israel) West Bank is also an unsafe place for Palestinians to live, work and play. Settlers use violence to displace Palestinians from their homes and agricultural land.
To condone Israel is to condone genocide.
Linda Teese
Byron Bay
NOTE
The Byron Shire Echo is a free weekly independent tabloid newspaper that is published in the Byron Shire, New South Wales, Australia....
The Echo is totally owned by people who live in Byron Shire.
It is published by Echo Publications Pty Ltd, an Australian proprietary company, limited by shares, registered in 1990.
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