Comments on: You’re offended? Oy vey!

By: Michael Hamilton

Michael Hamilton — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 04:51:21 +0000

Ok I’m an Ashkenazi, research reveals our origins are in Central Europe and Yiddish is pretty close to a Slavic tongue. So where does Egypt, Moses and the Promised Land come into our history? Regards Michael.

By: Peter Arnold

Peter Arnold — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 02:54:11 +0000

I have been alerted via Peter Benjamin to an error in my ‘offence’ piece, which should, I feel, be corrected. Thank you, Peter.

I have long been aware of the comment made at the July 1938 Evian Conference in France, by the Australian Government’s representative, Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas W. White, DFC, VD, MP, Minister for Trade and Customs. This comment is still on display at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.
“It will no doubt be appreciated also that as we have no real racial problem, we are not desirous of importing one by encouraging any scheme of large-scale foreign migration …”

What I did not know was that the policy was reviewed after Kristalnacht (9 November 1938), after which Australia agreed to admit – over three years – 15,000 refugees, as Benjamin points out. The previous annual quota had been 1,800. Of course, the war intervened, shortening the planned three years to one. The Australian government’s response was clearly ‘too little, too late’.

For anyone who wants to follow up on the question raised by some commentators as to why Jews have been hated for millennia by Christians and Muslims, the original article cited Nirenberg’s ‘AntiJudaism: The Western Tradition” and Wistrich’s “Antisemitism: the Longest Hatred.” Nirenberg makes it clear that the Eastern religions and cultures have no ‘Freudian’ need to reject Judaism – they are not derived from it.

By: Adrian Jackson

Adrian Jackson — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 04:16:38 +0000

In reply to peter j benjamin. Lest not forget the "kinder transports" to Great Britain too.

By: david singer

david singer — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 20:21:53 +0000

In reply to Brendon O’Connell.

The classic response of a Jew-hater.

Do you have the same hatred for all Moslems and all Christians?

At least you apparently have identified yourself – unlike most Jew-haters who spew their hatred out under the cover of anonymity.

Perhaps you might like to try and justify your outrageous claim with some specific examples of what brings you to make your generalised and unsubstantiated allegations.

BTW – Are you identical with Brendan Lee O’Connell who was sentenced in the District Court in Perth to a three year prison term in 2011 after being found guilty of six racial hatred charges?
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/man-jailed-for-posting-antisemitic-video-online-20110131-1abm3.html

By: Leon Poddebsky

Leon Poddebsky — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 11:01:28 +0000

In reply to Brendon O’Connell.

Brendon, why are you being so coy?
Why don’t you tell us what’s really on your mind?
Why shelter behind mere questions? Why not give us your opinion?

By: Leon Poddebsky

Leon Poddebsky — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 10:56:42 +0000

In reply to matt mcLaughlin. Millennia of exilic existence cannot be reversed speedily. Even the ancient Israelites who were liberated from Egypt had to wander in the wilderness until a new generation arose that would be permitted to enter the Land of Israel, and their Egyptian exile had been of much shorter duration than the post-Roman conquest one has been.

By: Lynne Newington

Lynne Newington — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 04:04:25 +0000

In reply to peter j benjamin. The importance of getting historical facts straight!

By: peter j benjamin

peter j benjamin — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 01:29:03 +0000

“Your grandparents were citizens of countries, including Australia, which refused sanctuary to my people trying to flee Nazi terror.” WRONG!
Peter Arnold is incorrect with this assertion and has inadvertently downplayed Australia’s humanitarian actions. As a result of the July 1938 Evian Conference held at Evian-les Bains, France, convened by President Roosevelt and attended by the representatives of 31 countries, Australia agreed to accept 15,000 Jewish refugees, 5,000 in each of 1938, 1939 & 1940. Due to the outbreak of WW 2, quotas for the last two years could not be fully filled. To their eternal shame, none of the other 30 countries attending agreed to accept any Jewish refugees, including the US, which had convened the conference! Luckily, my parents and I, as barely a one-year-old, arrived in Sydney on 16th December 1938. For that I am eternally grateful, and laud the Australian Government’s subsequent rebuttal of Australian Govt attendee Lieutenant-Colonel White’s appalling declaration that “we have no real racial problem, we are not desirous of importing one by encouraging any scheme of large-scale foreign migration…” Interestingly, Jules Black, who has provided a post above, may not be aware that he and his parents were beneficiaries of the Government’s Jewish refugee visa grants. The Blacks were our neighbours in Flood Street, Bondi in about 1940-41.

By: Lynne Newington

Lynne Newington — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 01:04:12 +0000

In reply to Leon Poddebsky. My views exactly, better coming from you not me.....

By: matt mcLaughlin

matt mcLaughlin — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 14:50:06 +0000

In reply to Leon Poddebsky. 3000 years of trouble but by 1917 Zionism still not the will of world's Jews, 1917.