The following letter appears in this week’s Australian Jewish News:
One of the revelations of the Jewish Population Survey was that 80 per cent of Jews support Israel. As editorialised in The AJN, this debunks the “absurd notion pushed by the likes of Antony Loewenstein and Jews Against the Occupation that there is a large silent group of Australian Jews who don’t support Israel”.
Another myth pushed by these anti-Zionist Jews -– that their views are being silenced and the current Jewish leadership and representation doesn’t represent all the Jewish community -– is equally absurd.
This view is also pushed by left-wing bloggers such as Yvonne Fein’s Sensible Jew, a perennial critic of The AJN and Jewish Community Council of Victoria.
Our sole national Jewish newspaper consistently publishes views and editorials from all parts of the political spectrum, and the letters column is certainly not censored (I can attest to that).
A day doesn’t go by when Fairfax, Crikey, ABC or SBS don’t offer a platform for these dissident Jews to attack the mainstream Jewish community and Israel. In fact, far from being silenced, the views of these minority Jews seem to be heard the loudest in our media and universities.
There are not a lot of Jews queuing up to take leadership positions, a thankless task in our Jewish community organisations, which anybody can join and eventually stand for election in.
It is very easy to criticise those Jews who volunteer their time from the safety of blog sites and letters to the editor.
It’s time for these people who do nothing to offer the Jewish community to put up or shut up.
MICHAEL BURD
Toorak, Vic