COMMENT: Hate without end …

I must say that I do feel sorry for David Knoll, President of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. In yesterday’s Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Knoll argued that the words of Professor Raphael Israeli “properly understood” did not make any suggestion that all Muslim migrants are evil.

Yet now, in a letter published on the far-Right JihadWatch website, Dr Israeli goes further and attributes violence not just to Muslim migrants but to all Muslims.

… I blamed the violence of Muslims in the world (and by implication here) for the troubles they are having …

Making matters worse, Dr Israeli attributes such sentiments to all Jews, claiming that their denials are pretence to hide what they really think. In essence, he accuses Australian Jewry and their leaders of being hypocritical and two-faced, giving into “the Muslim thugs” for the sake of

... political correctness which does not allow those things to be said, though privately everyone supports what I said.

Further, Dr Israeli claims that John Howard and Peter Costello have said worse things about Australian Muslims, especially following what Dr Israeli describes as the “Muslim riots” at Cronulla.

Then, as if to rub salt into the wounds, Dr Israeli insults Australia by referring to “the provinciality of the place”.

So not only does Dr Israeli say what David Knoll claims he didn’t say. Dr Israeli is also accusing David Knoll, Colin Rubenstein, Vic Alhadeff and a host of other Jewish leaders of subscribing to the following notions:

* That Muslim migration needs to be capped;

* That Australia should abandon any form of multiculturalism.

* That Muslims are thugs.

* That the Cronulla riots were really riots by Muslims.

* That this kind of teaching of Islam needs to be spread far and wide, especially amongst “the Jewish audiences who need the education for which I was brought here”.

This sort of hatred needs to be exposed. The Jewish communities, through their newspapers and community leaders, have done well to distance themselves from such disgraceful language and sentiments. I am sure David Knoll won’t be defending the sentiments of Dr Israeli for much longer.

Now let’s see if Dr Israeli cops the sort of flack from certain columnists, shock jocks and politicians which Sydney thick-Sheiks cop. Let’s see if questions are asked about Judaism and its ability to conform to Australian values. Let’s see if Jews are held collectively responsible for the words of a man invited to Australia to educate them about another Abrahamic faith.

Let’s see if the Stones and Albrechtsens and Akermans and Bolts and Devines (father and daughter) and Sheehans and McIlveens and Blairs and Bones and Windschuttles and Donnelly’s of this world will show some consistency.

Words © 2007 Irfan Yusuf