Comments on: Chazan to speak in Marrickville

By: Otto Waldmann

Otto Waldmann — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 00:05:26 +0000

Symptomatic of the well known strategies employed by NIF, of deceit, misrepresentation, the above implied notion that Im Tirzu would be ideologically associated with a christian evangelical church ( obviously referrence to John Hagee Ministries ) is a lamentable attempt at deflecting justified criticism of NIF that its activities in the past decade have been ostensively of support for policies of deligimatisation of Israel. The said evangelical church was NOT a FOUNDING member of Im Tirzu,but a xstian Zionist early suporter of Im Tirzu,one that has left Im Tirzu already !!! The BDS and Goldstone Report, on the other hand, have been on the ideological agenda of NIF, other unrelated NGO beneficiaries notwithstanding.
The comparative argument that only some 10 percent of NIF has been known to support activities hostile to Israel, while the bulk ballance cannot be criticised, is as valid as my retort that in the towns of Nagyvarad and Kolozsvar where my Granparents, uncles and cousins lived, some over one hundred in number, only some 5 percent of the local non Jewish population took part in the rounding up and packing my family and thousands more Jews in cattle trains. Morality and the lack of it are not expressed in percentages, but absolute specificity of transgressions.
For the sake of balancing opinions, expressing known realities, I hope this comment will see the light of “publishing”.

By: Janet Sernack

Janet Sernack — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:22:14 +0000

As an olah chadsha, living in Zichron Yaakov, in Israel, I cannot reinforce enough how damaging it is to us, as Israeli citizens, when our own people (Jews & Israelis’), speak out against us.

We live in an extremely complex, chaotic and misunderstood Middle Eastern world over here, one that contradicts all the most basic and fundamental Westen values. No matter how imperfect we are, we are 63 years young and still very much in the “learning zone”, we live, very single day of our lives, under incredible pressure, adversity and severe geopolitical constraints!

We really deserve a “fair go” by Naomi Chazan, and the organisation she represents, especially one that truely & honestly represents the the thoughts and feelings of the wide range of citizens of this amazing country and not an inherently self righteous, dishonest and divisive one!

I hope that Robin Margo has the fortitude, stamina and integrity to ensure this happens.

By: david singer

david singer — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 09:25:08 +0000

Robin Margo is only partly right when he states “NIF opposes BDS” .

NIF’s opposition to BDS does not extend beyond the 1967 lines. It supports boycotting goods products and services emanating from the West Bank,

In so doing NIF is encouraging discrimination against 500000 Israelis for living where they are – many for up to 40 years with the approval of successive Governments of all political persuasions – as against the 5.7 million Israelis who live in Israel.

Ms Chazan is obviously comfortable to see her fellow citizens suffer in the West Bank whilst she remains untouched by the BDS campaign

Shame on her and on those in Australia who would support NIF while it maintains such a policy.

By: Michael Burd

Michael Burd — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 07:49:20 +0000

There must be two Naomi Chazan’s, the Naomi CHazan I am aware of heads a highly controversial Fund under investigation by the Israeli government for funding Pro- Palestinian/Arab organizations and groups.
Some of these very same Palestinian/Arab organizations funded by Chazan’s NIF even promote the destruction of Israel as part of their charter and many other certainly not fans of Israel or Ziinists.

Perhaps for rthe sake of Fair and balanced reporting you ask someone that is not a supporter of Chazan and her far left wing organization to offer an alternative viewpoint.
Maybe Prof Steinberg or Isi Leibler for instance there are other opinions out there that are not left wing and appear to dominate this web site.

Michael Burd

By: Otto Waldmann

Otto Waldmann — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:32:21 +0000

The above presentation contains a number of highly misleading statements.
The main thrust of discrediting Im Tirzu is only consistent with the known policies sponsored by NIF in discrediting Israel propper, through the well known support NIF has been giving to NGOs involved in BDS and in the Goldstone Report.
The above statement that Im Tirzu was established by an “original funder” an evangelical American ministry, referring, of course to John Hagee Ministries, is intended to convey the notion that Im Tirzu carries the profile of a christian agenda, through its original, establishment, structure. This is completly FALSE, misleading, meant to attribute a genuine Zionist organisation a completely different, non Jewish profile.Truth is that John Hagee Ministries, a xtian Zionist religious organisation DID support Im Tirzu at the time of its commencement, but the John Hagee Ministries WERE NOT FOUNDERS of Im Tirzu, only political friends, supporters in the same manner as many other non Jewish religious organisations in the US show strong support for Israel and, as such, they are often addressed and thanked by Israeli Prime Ministers during their visits to US. That DOES not make Israel a non Jewish State, G-d forbid. Also, in regard to the statement that Im Tirzu is “widely discredited”, such a damaging , again, false statement is not at all substantiated.It is greatly gratuitous and offensive.
Im Tirzu have been instrumental in disclosing the TRUE policies of NIF, through the publication of the TRUE amounts of funds NIF have given to all the NGOs involved in the BDS and the Goldstone Report.
If NIF is so dedicated to fighting the BDS, which in FACT they have contributed at the most important, inception stages of its highly damaging actions against Israel, where was the same NIF in the active days of ACTUAL struggle against the Marrickvile Council ???!! Answer: NOWHERE at all !!! Same goes for the immediate past president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. Where was HE when so many other leaders of the community took an active and visible stand against the BDS in Marrickville and elsewhere !!!Attempting to take credit after the successful anti BDS facts, for which NIF is highly culpable, is as disingenious as the whole current campaign by NIF and NIFA of white washing their MAJOR role in creating MAJOR problems to Israel and Jewish sincere concerns in general !!!
All “positive” contributions to Israel in NIF’s books are nullified by their proven anti Israel policies.