Comments on: O’Connell: a wake-up call to anti-Israel “social-justice activists”

By: Mannstein

Mannstein — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 03:16:16 +0000

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions sounds like a great organization.

How can one sign up?

By: Ed

Ed — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 05:10:08 +0000

Whether he is anti-Semite or not is irrelevant. The mad didn’t assault anyone, didn’t incite violence why should he even be charged because he doesn’t have politically correct thoughts or beliefs?

I’m American and I was shocked when I read this story. Three years in jail for disagreeing with someone.

This actually has the opposite affect. Expect a backlash as people come out to defend this young man.

By: Sandy

Sandy — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 21:58:13 +0000

The Marrickville councillors who voted to boycott Israel ARE fringe elements, and should be exposed as such.

By: Rueven Oren

Rueven Oren — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:11:41 +0000

Every generation will have it’s threat, if it happens or not, Megillah Esther, and the Hagodar both say this. As I say if they are going to attack you for being Jewish by your genetics you may as well be Jewish by lifestyle. It easy for a mentally disturbed person to be a racist, but it is not easy to make a stand against them. For this reason I salute the Australian Government for taking a stand, arresting and imprisioning this low life.

By: Michael Santomauro

Michael Santomauro — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:10:22 +0000

“Many rabbis and professionals have told me recently that they fear for their jobs should they even begin to articulate their doubts about Israeli policy–much less give explicit support to calls for an end to the occupation.”

— Rabbi Michael Lerner
April 28, 2002 in the Los Angeles Times

By: Larry Stillman

Larry Stillman — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 07:00:46 +0000

O please, spare us equating the views of a nut case with everyone who is critical of Israel, including people in the BDS movementl. An extraordinarily simplistic and dangerous analysis confusing the right to free speech with the actions of disturbed people.

I hope jwire offers a right of reply.

By: Rita

Rita — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 06:15:33 +0000

GOOD ONE!!! Hopefully a start and not only a one-off!!!

“…So he also exemplifies the worst aspects of this new and recent anti-Israel “BDS” (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement that has attracted support from some fringe elements in Australia. Despite its semblance of “social justice”, it actually aims to destroy the Jewish homeland and vilify Jews….”

Unfortunately the virulently anti-Semitic Marrickville Council is not a fringe element and should follow this unpaletable guy into the dock!

“…Whether these useful idiots are misguided, ignorant, just plain antisemitic, or some combination of them all, they promote neither peace nor the welfare of their purported “friends” in the Middle East. They are merely fostering and encouraging more crackpot criminal behaviour, like O’Connell’s….

I agree with the Jewish-Anerican talk-show host Barry Farber, to was quoted as saying:

” When the consequences of incompetence (ignorance,cowardice et al) become indistinguishable from the consequences of malice, it is wiser and safer to assume malice.”

By: David

David — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 06:10:55 +0000

Why only 3 years, it should have been 3 years on each count.

By: Daryl

Daryl — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 03:24:02 +0000

This is a very frightening development. One that reaffirms our restrictions on the right to free speech and the right to expression here in Australia.

While I don’t agree with what was said (don’t throw me in jail…!!) I think we need to be more strident about people having the right to express themselves in this country.

Was there any incitement to violence here? or just the vigorous and confrontational statement of an opposing point of view?

I lived for a while in Arab countries. I know what Israel is faced with and feel that most the world doesn’t understand this. But that is absolutely no reason at all to limit the right to free speech in Australia.

Next I will be hauled to prison for expressing my contempt of child brides of forced marriage around Muslims…

By: Stewart Mills

Stewart Mills — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:07:19 +0000

To try and sear the BDS campaigners as anti-Semites is intellectually lazy. Are you calling Jeff Halper, Yonatan Shapira and Anna Baltzer anti-Semites?

It must be remembered that human beings in Gaza are facing their own BDS campaign instigated by Israel with the complicity of autocratic Egypt. The siege on Gaza had been going for almost a decade – severe deprivation on imports and exports and freedom of movement – with the extra burden of being at the mercy of a foreign airforce, navy and army that can reek substantial damage at will. That is not to support Hamas, but it is to remind us that Palestinians suffer because of the actions of a few and the suffering is nothing compared with an international BDS campaign on Israel. The BDS campaign on Israel is more symbolic than punitive. It is a reminder that Israel as a friend needs to set a good example about how others are treated. If Israel cannot get it right who are we to expect China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia or Indonesia to get it right.