It’s nearly Christmas and that must mean yet another year of the Australia-Israel-UK Leadership Forum. The Australian media has virtually ignored the whole thing because they’re a) lazy b) not curious and c) clueless how to write about the shamelessness of witnessing so many politicians pall around with pro-occupation Israeli figures. These are the same…
Showing all posts tagged Australia
Why boycotting Israeli academia is necessary and principled
My following piece appears today in ABC’s… The Drum: An academic boycott of Israeli universities isn’t an attack on freedom of speech. The evidence tells us these institutions are key battlegrounds for breaches of international law towards the Palestinians, argues Antony Loewenstein. New Zealand’s $20 billion national pension fund… announced this month… that it was divesting from three…
Chomsky supports BDS against Israeli illegality
Following 10 days of daily coverage in The Australian of Dr Jake Lynch from Sydney University supporting a boycott against Israeli universities, the last two days have seen more letters published. Friday: On what basis does the University of Sydney lend institutional support to a group with a guiding objective of boycotting Jewish business and…
Voice of academic reason; why I boycott Israeli universities
Following the avalanche of media coverage in the last 10 days of Sydney University’s Dr Jake Lynch about his brave stand to oppose any institutional links with Israeli universities, he’s written two pieces in New Matilda that outline some of the issues. One: Journalist Christian Kerr recently filed a series of critical articles in The…
How Australia actively blocks legitimate refugees globally who need our protection
Australia’s largely secret role in actively blocking persecuted people from escaping life-threatening situations should be exposed more often. Canberra seems happy colluding with authoritarian figures in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and beyond to “stop the boats”. Here’s Aubrey Belford in The Global Mail: Australian authorities have increasingly turned to a strategy some find disturbing: they are…
Anybody else like to speak out against a courageous academic challenging Israeli apartheid?
There’s been so much media coverage of Dr Jake Lynch at Sydney University taking a principled stance against an Israeli academic that it’s vital to just have all the stories on the record. I’ve been publishing all the information I can find about it on a daily basis (here’s the piece from yesterday). The Australian:…
Another day and Murdoch’s Australian on case of rampant anti-Semitism in our universities (oh wait…)
Today Rupert Murdoch’s very serious broadsheet organ The Australian continues its brave reporting on, well knows anymore, the countless stories about Dr Jake Lynch at Sydney University. It’s beyond parody. Thankfully, Lynch is standing firm and he has received the full support of his Peace and Conflict Studies board. News story: Australia’s peak Jewish body…
What a spectacular own goal looks like; thank you Michael Danby for embracing Israeli occupation so cluelessly
Labor MP Michael Danby has a history of loving Israel as only a married man can. Today he unleashes his glorious literary skills in the Murdoch tabloids to denounce Foreign Minister Bob Carr for daring to have an independent thought over Israel: As NSW premier he [Bob Carr] awarded the Sydney Peace Prize to Palestinian…
Challenging spin over PNG LNG vital in age of resource curse
A key theme of my disaster capitalism book (out 2013) is the role of Western multinationals in exploiting resources and people in poor nations. A focus is Papua New Guinea. A report released today by NGO Jubilee Australia called Pipe Dreams… challenges the many myths about the supposed benefits of the soon to begin LNG operation.…
Memo to Murdoch’s rag; academic BDS is about Zionist occupation not Judaism
I’m no longer surprised by the profound dishonesty in Rupert Murdoch’s Australian when it comes to discussing Israel and Palestine. Today’s editorial covers the ongoing saga (pushed by them alone, an obsessive little bunch they are) about Dr Jake Lynch at Sydney University. They clearly imply he’s anti-Semitic for daring to oppose connections with Israeli…