On Hezbollah
Les Heimann writes: Re. “Triple threat: Hezbollah versus Israel and the Islamic State” (yesterday). Tim Robertson’s blatantly biased blathering about Hezbollah, IS and Israel is yet again another piece of pro-violence against the “enemy Israel”. By unsubtle inference dismissing the fact that the terrorists hide behind women and children, the author goes on with a lot of nonsensical waffle. It is a fact that in fighting off attacks Israel must commit collateral damage. How else does one root out the cowards who hide behind the skirts of women. They don’t much care about women anyway do they?
It is also a fact that Israel is surrounded by rabid Jew haters who have repeatedly vowed to rid the world of Jews and drive all Israel into the sea. Equally, it is a fact that no organisation of Arabs are willing to acknowledge that the State of Israel has a right to exist. Every day in Israel is a risk to life and limb for every Israeli, to be perhaps blown up by a cowardly Arab terrorist. For all this Israel is blamed for belligerence, over reaction and bullying. Please.
True it is Israel seems to have shifted politically much to the right and that’s a shame, but why do the “leftist loonies” become fellow anti-Semitists simply because of this? Why not pick on Canada or Australia for that matter? No, it’s somehow easy to jump on the bandwagon of the traditional victim.
Don’t patronise grannies
Dr Beryl A. Langer writes: Re. “Revolting grannies” (yesterday). Is it not possible to report on Grandmothers Against Detention of Refugee Children with respect for their serious intervention in relation to children in detention? The “revolting grannies” headline and the snide reference to a “purple rinse” revolution are ageist and patronizing. They are also somewhat dated. If you think women over 60 still have the purple rinses favored by our mothers’ generation, you should get out more!
On people smuggling
James O’Neill writes: Re. “Labor joins the bribery racket — but will the media front up?” (yesterday). Bernard, the answer to your question about the media response is to be found in Crikey’s editorial. When the agenda is set by a handful of families, and one in particular, and given that the msm are essentially instruments of the corporate powers that are the real government today, does it really matter how they respond?
Les Heimann
I suspect that the looney left hates Israel for the crime of being a US ally. Israel’s choice to go with the US rather than that nice Stalin fellow is not forgotten by some.
ianjohnno@ 1
“I suspect that the looney left hates Israel for the crime of being a US ally. Israel’s choice to go with the US rather than that nice Stalin fellow is not forgotten by some.”
Or… the “looney left” could be upset at the hundreds of Palestinian children slaughtered by Israeli missile attacks on hospitals and schools, all while the Western media were hyperventilating about a journalist losing his head.
Or the Loony Left could be the decent people who think that Israel is nothing more than a land thief. Built on stolen land acquired by murder and terrorism. That is a right to exist? However, I actually accept Israel has a right to exist. I cannot accept the treatment of those in the occupied territories, the theft of homes in East Jerusalem, the mongrel acts of the so called settlers and the constant staling or expropriation of Palestinian farms. What Israel has lost, is the right to bleat for sympathy.
Upon further reflection, I would ask Les Heimann why Israel has a right to exist.I would also ask him if the words Stern Gang and King David Hotel mean anything to him. These people were terrorists. Are they less so from being Jewish? I was raised to admire Jews by my mum and lectured to respect them by my Presbyterian minister. Fair enough. I am however very anti Zionist and Israel is doing its best to make me despise it as a nation of thieves and murderers. If you wonder why anti Semitism is rising what is to like about Israel? I wonder could it be that we hate Israel as opposed to Jews, most of whom are lovely people by my experience.
Heimann repeats the hasbara nonsense endlessly. To give just 1 example, Israel is surrounded by governments which acknowledge Israel’s right to exist. What no one will acknowledge is Israel’s right to exist *as a Jewish state*, the latter bit being added relatively recently when the original lie couldn’t be maintained even by Israel’s pr people.
No one acknowledges Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state because this would further entrench the apartheid against Israel’s Arab citizens.