The following letter appears in today’s Sydney Daily Telegraph:
About 3am on New Year’s Day I got back to my car, which was parked in North Bondi. Someone had thrown a beer bottle through the driver’s side window.
My car previously had three stickers on it, but it now had two. The two which remained said, “Racism Sux” and “Sack Howard”. The missing sticker said “Free Palestine”. Obviously, it had been ripped off.
This angers me. I would add that I have parked in Bondi Junction recently and stickers of abuse were placed on my car twice.
I know that in the area in which I parked, and the area in which I live, my views are unpopular. I also know that my views are part of a small minority within the Jewish community. However, it seems to me no less obvious that political opinions should be allowed free public expression, even if they are unpopular.
Within a democracy, it is simply outrageous that I am not able to express my views unmolested.
The smashing of my window has obviously not diminished the justice of supporting the right of Palestinians to self-determination. I would hope that there would be a greater awareness by now that issues relating to Israel and Palestine cannot be resolved through violence.
I also hope this incident might encourage others to find out more details of the severe Israeli mistreatment of Palestinians.
I would also like to think that condemnation of this senseless act of violence will be as forthcoming as it would be were a car attacked because it carried expressions of support for Israel.
Michael Brull, Bellevue Hill