Amnesty Australia permitting ugly antisemitic comments on its Facebook page

December 16, 2013 by J-Wire Staff
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Amnesty International Australia has been accused of allowing its Facebook page athttps://www.facebook.com/AmnestyOz/posts/10153527406600632 to be used as a medium for grossly racist and bigoted posted comments.

From Amnesty's web site

From Amnesty’s web site

In response to an Amnesty petition against Israeli settlements, one comment from “Kath Kim”, which continues to appear on Amnesty Australia’s Facebook page after five days, reads “May god send another Hitler and rid the world from the cancer called the Jews”.

An offending comment

An offending comment

Another comment is from “Yani Haigh” and reads “That lot have been making up stories about their suffering for 5,000 years.  The whole Jewish cult is based on stories about how they are the most suffering ‘people’ on the planet”. Further posted comments from the same person mistranslate, misrepresent and denigrate the Talmud.  Some of these comments also continue to appear on the AI Oz Facebook page after five days.

Other posted comments denigrate Muslims and Arabs.

ECAJ Executive Director, Peter Wertheim, has slated Amnesty Australia for “its laxity in failing to properly monitor and moderate the comments posted on its Facebook page”.

“It is a very poor reflection on Amnesty Australia, as an organisation that professes to be dedicated to advancing human rights, that it is allowing its Facebook page to be used as a medium for inciting racism and even genocide”, Wertheim said. “Amnesty Australia has failed in its responsibility to be pro-active and check for, and weed out, grossly racist comments within a short time after they are posted, and not leave them up on their Facebook page for days at a time.”

“Amnesty Australia also needs to face up to the troubling question of what it is about the content of its Facebook page, and the general political line it takes, that makes racists and bigots feel that it provides them with a sympathetic home.  There was once a time when Amnesty was widely respected because it focused solely on freeing prisoners of conscience, regardless of politics, but those days are long gone”.

 

Comments

11 Responses to “Amnesty Australia permitting ugly antisemitic comments on its Facebook page”
  1. Lizzie says:

    My impression is that in Australia, the liberal Left perceives Arab culture as far more cutesie than it actually is. Many need a reality check. A visit to the Lebanon or Syria, would be a good start. When my French uncle used to stay in his uncle’s house in Beirut before the 70s,the Lebanon was a rather wonderful place to visit, as a break from Paris and Normandy. Now its like a person who has been run over by a trash dumpster and seemingly has no way back. If you want to go into a reactive depression, then watch a doco on these two countries.

  2. Lizzie says:

    What an eye-opener! But for your article we would not have known about this. How amazing that AI have degenerated to such sluttie standards. It is downright alarming – but have they heard the alarm? [Lizzie in Central Vic]

  3. Marilyn says:

    What is Amnesty doing about the murder going on in Syria? Do they always turn a blind eye to these atrocities but focus on Israel trying to survive the attacks of all those HUGE neighbours, but oh I am so sorry world I forgot Israel is always the aggressor.

  4. Kate says:

    A former head of Amnesty of Australia is Mara Mousstafine, a distinguished Australian of Jewish and Muslim background.

    Why don’t you ask her what she thinks of your antisemitism, and of your bias, and of your failure to take facts into account?

    Has any Islamic leader anywhere EVER unequivocally asserted that Jews have a right to their state? Netanyahu repeatedly says that Palestinians should have a state of their own. Yet the same is never said by any Palestinian leader. NEWS FLASH: the Islamic nations surrounding Israel WANT ISRAEL DESTROYED. Now there’s a human rights issue!

  5. Joy says:

    I will never give one more cent to this poorly directed hate allowing organisation. Ideas such as those printed by anti- Semitic ignorant people should not be permitted anywhere. The poor survivors of the holocaust, not one word of sympathy from anyone for them anymore.

  6. Yael says:

    A quick trawl through Amnesty’s site shows that it is full of vile comments ‘inciting hatred and/or violence’ despite this lukewarm Amnesty comment 3 hours ago that amounts to a very soft tap on the wrist:

    “We encourage lively debate folks, but please do keep it respectful. Personal attacks or comments inciting hate and/or violence will be removed, and repeat offenders may be blocked.”

    Shame, Amnesty.

  7. Naomi says:

    To all who may be financial supporters of Amnesty International: this is the time to cease your support and to let them know why you are doing so. I cancelled my automatic payments to them a year ago when I became aware of their anti-Israel bias (granted, probably several years too late). I had been an Amnesty supporter since the letter-writing campaigns in my student days in the 1970s, and I believed them to be a powerful force for easing the plight of political prisoners and for shining a light on human rights violations in repressive regimes. Dr. Wertheim is correct, however, in saying that “those days are long gone”. Pulling support for Amnesty and perhaps sending support instead to an Israel-friendly cause seem like appropriate gestures under the circumstances.

  8. Kay says:

    I am disgusted that this is happening. Why doesn’t the media report of the umpteen rockets and other bits and pieces of weaponry that get thrown at Israel everyday by the fanatical Arabs/Palestinians who only pretend to negotiate for peace.
    Why is the media not also saying that the Arabs/Palestinians are hellbent on genocide of the Jewish people and the modern Jewish State just as much as Hitler in WWII.
    Why is the media also not alarmed at the UN forming close ties with the Iranian President. He is not at all moderate in regards to his hatred of Israel and has verbally spoken genocidal sentiments.
    Australia is being a gutless wonder in not making a stand for Israel. Is this possibly because of the extent of the Arabic immigrants now living here, and we have to appease them?

    • Eleonora says:

      I have corresponded with the media (7news)for years and sent them documents, links etc.Perhaps you should watch the credits at the end of the news and you’ll find like I did who sponsors them. Have you been to Martins Place (7) gone to reception? Are the bouncers there Arabs?? It seems they (7))are also “Die Hard” Labor supporters”continually bringing PM Mr. Tony Abbott down while praising Labor. Of course we all know where Labors sympathies lie. My question goes again to the mob of “Journalists” who or if ever intend to do in this regards as they are supposed to be standing for Honest Reporting???

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