FRESH AIR

UPDATES

Media Week – Beyond the pale; Siege mentality

Jul 1, 2016 | Allon Lee

Media Week - Beyond the pale; Siege mentality
news_item/spin640______________________________________________________________.jpg

Beyond the pale

In the Australian (June 24), analyst Paul Monk rebuked governments for cosying up to Iran whilst “vicious anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial and virulent anti-Zionism” remains part of its “DNA”.

“The unpleasant truth,” Monk wrote, “is that Iran officially and unrepentantly continues to peddle pernicious and genocidal propaganda. That is the moral character of the regime.”

He cited regime support of Iran’s infamous Holocaust cartoon competition where cartoonists are “invited to mock the Holocaust or the idea of the Holocaust, since leading figures in the regime have expressed scepticism as to whether it even occurred.”

The 2016 winning entry “was awarded to a cartoon that showed what very much looks like the entrance to Auschwitz sitting on top of a cash register that has $6 million in it. It was drawn by a French cartoonist notorious for his anti-Semitic views.”

Monk called the recent claim by Iran’s “smooth-tongued, US-educated Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, [who] dances around the question of whether the Holocaust occurred or on what scale” that the competition is not controlled by his government a “barefaced lie”.

“Our goal must be not to avert our eyes and tell ourselves that they don’t do things like this cartoon competition, or they don’t really mean it, but to seek by all means within our power (limited though they are) to…push for change… when we seek to open channels of dialogue with Tehran, this is a matter we must bear in mind. Julie Bishop, take note.”

Siege mentality

As noted recently, ABC Middle East correspondent Sophie McNeill’s report on “7.30” that purportedly focused on a rare opening of the Gaza-Egypt crossing was really an attack on Israel and a demand the blockade of Gaza be lifted.

On ABC Radio “PM” (June 15) McNeill filed a slightly different but no less questionable report.

Host Tony Eastley said Israeli/Egyptian “tight control” of goods and people to and from Gaza is intended to “put the financial squeeze on Hamas.”

In fact, the regulation of goods is only meant to prevent Hamas’ weapons smuggling and importation of items with potential military application. Most goods are unaffected. And as noted last week, 72,108 Gazans crossed into Israel in the first five months of 2016.

In this version, McNeill described Gaza as a “besieged territory.”

According to the Oxford Dictionary, a “siege” is “a military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling those inside to surrender.” No one in Israel supports retaking Gaza and Israel allows through thousands of tons of goods every week. Egypt does not.

Robert Piper, UN Humanitarian Coordinator of Gaza, was quoted saying that, “unemployment rates are through the roof…we have power cuts, sometimes 16 hours a day, and most Gazans are only accessing water two to three days for a few hours.”

These are byproducts of Hamas’ disdain for its obligations as a ruling regime by stealing aid and often refusing to pay for fuel to power Gaza’s electricity generators.

At the report’s conclusion, the punch line came, with Piper demanding Israel end the blockade but of course not calling on Hamas to end its plans for Israel’s destruction.

– Allon Lee

Tags:

RELATED ARTICLES


Susan Abulhawa (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Abulhawa exposed by the ABC, which then buried the story

Mar 17, 2023 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Credit: Shutterstock

IAEA reports show Iran has almost reached nuclear weapons capabilities

Mar 15, 2023 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Ehud Yaari

Ehud Ya’ari on ABC Radio National: Israel’s judicial reforms controversy, and increasing West Bank violence

Mar 13, 2023 | Featured, Fresh AIR, In the media
Screenshot of John Menadue's blog

Why Russia apologists are often also the main pushers of anti-Israeli BDS

Mar 9, 2023 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Foreign Minister Penny Wong questioned on Iran before the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee on Feb. 16 (screenshot)

Australia needs to take more decisive action regarding Iranian threats against its citizens

Mar 1, 2023 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Remnants of an Iranian Shahed-136 "suicide drone" in Ukraine, designated as Geranium-2 in Russian.

Russo-Iranian drone factory will eventually haunt the Middle East

Feb 10, 2023 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Screenshot from a video showing radical Israeli rioters torching Palestinian homes in the West Bank town of Huwara on Sunday evening (Image: Twitter)

West Bank unrest escalates following violent riots by Jewish protesters in Huwara

Mar 1, 2023 | Update
The Iranian regime has been releasing some of the thousands of political prisoners arrested during the recent anti-regime protests. But the world should recognise that this is not a genuine change of heart, but a ruse, according to the author. (Image: Shutterstock, Novikov Aleksey)

Lessons from the Iranian protests

Feb 20, 2023 | Update
“Juniper Oak” logo. Credit: Israel Defense Forces

“Juniper Oak”: A Message to Iran?

Feb 10, 2023 | Update
The aftermath of the fatal terror attack in Jerusalem (Image: Twitter)

Heinous terror in Jerusalem

Feb 3, 2023 | Update
Israel's Supreme Court sitting earlier this month. Plans for judicial reforms that would limit the power of the Court have stirred intense debate in Israel. (Image: Eddie Gerald / Alamy Stock Photo)

Israel debates proposed judicial reforms

Jan 24, 2023 | Update
Image: Shutterstock

Evolving debates about Iran policy

Jan 17, 2023 | Update

SIGN UP FOR AIJAC EMAILS

RECENT POSTS

FrfQGIYaIAAu39s

AIJAC backs “tough measures” against neo-Nazis

Susan Abulhawa (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Abulhawa exposed by the ABC, which then buried the story

Image: Shutterstock

Why we need the IHRA definition of antisemitism

Image: Shutterstock

Letter: Religious bigotry, and racism, have no legitimacy in public discourse

Credit: Shutterstock

IAEA reports show Iran has almost reached nuclear weapons capabilities

FrfQGIYaIAAu39s

AIJAC backs “tough measures” against neo-Nazis

Susan Abulhawa (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Abulhawa exposed by the ABC, which then buried the story

Image: Shutterstock

Why we need the IHRA definition of antisemitism

Image: Shutterstock

Letter: Religious bigotry, and racism, have no legitimacy in public discourse

Credit: Shutterstock

IAEA reports show Iran has almost reached nuclear weapons capabilities

SORT BY TOPICS