Credit: Illustration: Andrew Dyson
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PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS
I am Jewish, and throughout my life I have worn it lightly. We have raised our children Jewish, but sent them to both Jewish and non-Jewish schools. My friends are of mixed religions, nationalities and political viewpoints.
Much like Waleed Aly’s sentiment around asking moderate Muslims to fix extremism (Opinion, 3/5), I feel hamstrung and helpless when I am challenged on the behaviour and response of Israel, a country to which I have no official ties.
I am not a country. I am a compassionate individual who is horrified at what is happening in Palestine, and equally horrified by the taking of Israeli hostages.
To hold all Jews responsible for Israel, and permit antisemitic sentiments to become mainstream, is unacceptable. There is a clear distinction between being anti-Israel/pro-Palestine and antisemitic, which is not being adequately enforced. Everyone has a right to feel safe in Australia. Australians should know better.
Name withheld by request
Multiple omissions
In expressing her joy at seeing the pro-Palestinian protests on campuses, columnist Alexandra Wake (Opinion, 9/5), fails to mention that the vast majority of Jewish students are actually proud Zionists who have, of course, been intimidated by slogans indicating that their presence is not welcome, and that the Jewish state should be eliminated.
She also failed to mention the many attempts to shut down Jewish student events, and that the protesters have additionally called for the severing of all academic ties with Israel.
Nor does she have anything to say about the “brutal” cause of the current conflict, nor the selectivity of students not protesting over other conflicts that have caused far more civilian deaths. The great irony is that one of the unis where the protests are occurring is named after the Jewish Sir John Monash; Australia’s greatest military leader, and founder of the Zionist Federation of Australia.
Geoff Feren, St Kilda East
Well-organised, polite and sincere protest
On Thursday, I visited the camp in support of Palestine at Melbourne University. The camp was large, well-organised, and entirely peaceful. There was a lecture in progress by a visiting scholar from Bethlehem University, Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh as he explained how he believes peace for all could be achieved in the region. The students I spoke with were polite, thoughtful and sincere.
Richard Barnes, Canterbury
University leaders should lead
It’s surprising that the Group of Eight universities feel they need legal advice from Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus on their authority to act against students who incite hatred on their campuses, (″When uni students endorse terror, it’s time for political intervention″, 9/5). All these universities have law faculties and, one would imagine, philosophy departments that deal in ethics. It would seem likely they also have HR policies on appropriate behaviour. This isn’t a legal issue – it’s a moral one. And, one where leadership isn’t in evidence. All students deserve to feel safe on campus.
Anthony Bergin, Reid, ACT
Don’t yell, converse
In response to Josefine Ganko’s “Kids’ anti-Israel chants” (29/4) and “Uni orders removal of ‘Zionists not welcome’ sign” (9/5), I recall a recent time in the Melbourne CBD when an opportunity for conversation, turned into chanting, and then a move-on order from a police officer.
I had expressed alarm to see protesters congregate with A4-size stickers with a red boycott sign placed over the Star of David on the Israeli flag. No qualms with showing support for the people of Palestine and Palestinian flags, no worries.
Not being Jewish, I was still intimidated to encounter human beings who yelled at me, “Go away, this is BS ... this is a pro-Palestine rally, you are not welcome”.
How have we got to yelling at each other as a society? Our ears are closed off if we are yelling, we cower, and we are certainly not looking for common ground, in a “shared” public space of all places.
Having no peace in the Middle East affects me personally. You would only need to have a chat, to ask why. Looking back, maybe I would have asked, “Has this been affecting you as well, and how?” And maybe that would have been an invitation to talk. Perhaps I am naive, but I will always hold on to hope.
Michelle Elder, Elsternwick
Book club choice
How wonderful to see the photograph of supporters of both Israel and Palestine together at Monash University (″It’s a joy to see the protests at unis″, 9/5). Our book club has just chosen Colum McCann’s Apeirogon – a beautiful story about an Israeli father and a Palestinian father united in their grief and in seeking understanding and peace in this dreadful conflict. An inspiring reading experience.
Bernard Daly, Flinders
THE FORUM
Not only cancer
In response to your correspondent (Letters, 10/5), I am a retired cancer research scientist who holds a patent for a treatment for bowel cancer, but am not shocked by the reduction in funding for the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
I do not know the details of the decision, but it is precisely because ″very few Australians, not just Victorians, are not related to, or acquainted with someone who is, or has been, affected by cancer″, myself included, that I suspect that cancer research receives a larger proportion of the finite medical research funding pie than research into other equally worthy but less ″popular″ diseases.
Dr Philip Shehan, Brunswick
Medical delays
Victoria is in a medical crisis. The opinion piece, “What I wish I’d known about suicide before my son died”, (8/5), is tragic, detailing a five-week wait for a teenager to get counselling and assistance, who even with the support of his family, was unable to tolerate his situation and took his life.
The crises are many. One friend’s newborn grandson needed essential surgery. His condition had been identified early in the pregnancy, but at birth his parents were told surgery would wait over a long weekend as there wasn’t a surgeon available. By the time he had surgery days later it needed to be more extensive and required a longer recovery.
Then there is the colleague with a serious condition requiring surgery. Unfortunately, for months he was deemed “not sick enough” and bumped down the wait list, until last week when his condition became life-threatening.
“Kicking the can down the road” exacerbates the crises as patients are sicker when they go into surgery, may require more extensive procedures, are more likely to stay longer in ICU and have a more protracted recovery. Unfortunately for your correspondent and his family, their son’s road came to an end, and he didn’t even have a chance at treatment and recovery.
Maybe the planning of train lines to airports and spaghetti-like freeway structures could be kicked down the road whilst we sort out the mess of our medical services.
Felicity Browne, Toorak
Some debt is good
“Bolte’s debt kept lights on”, (Letters, 9/5), provided a valuable historical insight into Victorian debt levels back to the early 1960s.
Melbourne is a growing city whose population is forecast to exceed 8 million by 2050. Increased road congestion is a key driver in Victoria receiving an additional $3.7 billion in GST revenue next financial year.
Imagine the congestion around Melbourne today if the removal of 75 level crossings over the past eight years, (none of which received federal funding), had been delayed or abandoned, and the resulting travel time savings and productivity improvements not realised. By comparison, the AUKUS project is estimated to cost up to $368 billion while Victoria’s net debt is forecast to be $187 billion by mid-2028. So, one Commonwealth project is likely to cost taxpayers almost twice the projected Victorian debt.
Richard Willcock, Albert Park
Inheriting the Earth
I was so angry with Anthony Albanese and his gas policy yesterday and now Jim Chalmers wants us to have more children. Why? To inherit a planet that is racing towards a three-degree increase in temperature? Ice sheets are melting and this government and its predecessor are under the control of the fossil fuel industry. We have no hope. The poor kids will inherit this mess.
Pauline Ashton, Maribyrnong
Bizarre and dubious
Angus Dalton in The Age Examine newsletter, (7/5), highlights a variety of research approaches to develop an industrial standard Quantum computer. Ed Husic (BA) and Anthony Albanese (BEc), after ″due process″, have engaged an American company PsiQuantum to work with Australian researchers using seed money of a billion dollars.
Philosopher Eric Schwitzgebel in his book The Weirdness of the World, says the mathematics of quantum mechanics passes ″every experimental test″, but when applied to reality, the results are ″bizarre and dubious″. Chucking that amount of cash at a project even physicists find difficult to fathom is bizarre and dubious.
Andrew Smith, Leongatha
ABC Radio breaks
ABC Radio has been running so many in-house ads lately, it might as well be a commercial station. Promos for its shows and products in the ABC store seem to have doubled over the past year. Presenters even say “back after the break″.
Its ratings are down across the board, and I suspect this is a reason. It’s a slap in the face to listeners whose taxes fund the station and who have the right to enjoy it ad-free.
Jeremy Bartlett, Thornbury
Slow the cars
It is fine for residents of St Leonards and Ascot Vale, (Letters, 10/5), ridiculing the City of Yarra’s new speed restrictions. Try living here.
We live in the south of the municipality, (the new zones don’t apply to us), but I wish they did. Rat-running, at speed, is an art form through Richmond, and a danger to our community.
But reduced limits won’t prove effective due to the lack of policing. There are several situations near where I live that are never policed – restricted-hours’ turns and stop signs. Motorists flout the signs every day, with no penalties.
Ken Smith, Richmond
A gun in his pocket
Your article, “Inside Melbourne’s restored Gothic Bank where every teller had a loaded revolver”, (5/5), on the prevalence of guns in banks reminded me of my own experiences as a trainee in Sydney where, as a 17-year-old, I was often required to provide security for the armoured car delivering cash.
This entailed standing outside the bank with a loaded Smith and Wesson revolver secreted in a cloth coin bag.
If a coin bag was unavailable the only option was to jam it into one’s trouser pocket and try to look casual.
Target practice took place on the rooftop of the head office in Martin Place. No OH&S in those days.
Stephen Farrelly, Donvale
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Illustration Matt Golding
Modern times
I missed the ″Yes, Minister″ episode where they refreshed the City Library by removing the books. Did that come before or after the one about scrapping the Arden hospital towers because of rail magnetisation?
Sandra Torpey, Hawthorn
Are the Docklands planners in cahoots with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival?
Bernd Rieve, Brighton
Furthermore
Next year’s election will be colourful. Teal and Green versus Purple (a mixture of the fossil fuel embracing, of the two tired, red and blue
parties).
Ross Ollquist, Hawthorn
Don’t worry about housing people, treating mental health and cancer etc, because Geelong has a new state-stadium (with $260 million from the state). That’s all that matters, doesn’t it?
Patricia Hunter, Ocean Grove
Well done to the City of Yarra council on its decision to slow traffic down to 30km/h. It gives us another reason to not go there and support the cafes, eateries and pubs.
Frank Flynn, Cape Paterson
If you want good government services, pay your taxes.
Patricia Rivett, Ferntree Gully
The saying “we’re cooking with gas” denotes we’re making good progress. With more severe storms, fires and floods, surely this will morph into “why didn’t we stop cooking with gas?”
Joe Nieuwenhuizen, Somers
Looking forward to the US announcing it is withholding offensive weapons from itself after its accidental killing of civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria ... the list goes on.
Benjamin Levy, Caulfield North
To ensure that his demands are taken seriously by Israel, Biden needs to withhold air defence missiles, not bombs.
Ralph Böhmer, St Kilda West
Finally
I was most amused at the description in your paper of Trump’s sordid encounter with Stormy Daniels as a ″tryst″.
A romantic moonlight meeting of lovers? I think not.
Sue Tuckerman, Kew
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.