The current war in West Asia: an activism email [Content Warning - violence, war]

PS - see: 

• “ASIO warns against inflamed language over Middle East amid concern of ‘opportunistic violence’”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/12/israel-_____-war-conflict-asio-warning-middle-east-violence-australia   “An Australian intelligence chief has urged leaders to safeguard social cohesion amid bloodshed in the Middle East, warning that “inflamed language” may fuel community tensions.   The head of ASIO, Mike Burgess, issued a rare public statement to say Australia’s terrorism threat level had not increased, but his agency was “concerned about the potential for opportunistic violence with little or no warning”.   The statement also included a plea for community harmony, with Burgess saying that “words matter”. He urged “all parties consider the implications for social cohesion when making public statements”.”  
  

Further to the still being updated post on this conflict here, and my earlier post here, I have sent two activism emails so far and have copied them in below (with minor readability edits that I wish I had noticed before I hit send). 

First email - 10^th October, 2023

 

Dear Member for <my electorate>,

I commend the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, for her call for restraint from both sides (reported at https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/2023/10/09/israel-attack-australia-response/) in relation to the current terrible events in West Asia - in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank now, but which have the potential to spread. 

 

Yours faithfully, 

Second email  - 12^th October, 2023

Dear Member for <my electorate>, 

 

I wish to add a few comments to my previous email on this topic - and I understand that everyone will be extremely busy at the present, particularly so given the combination of the approach of Voting Day for the referendum (I have already voted YES) and the terrible events in West Asia (predominantly Israel and Gaza, but also the West Bank, Lebanon, and, I understand, there may also have been an attack from Syria).

• It seems to me that SOME pro-Palestinian advocates are overlooking or ignoring the reality that a state of Israel will have to exist somewhere, given the world's failures in the 1930s and 40s (such as stopping Jewish people from leaving Germany to go somewhere else);
  
• Similarly, it seems to me that  SOME pro-Israel advocates are forgetting that the world and Israel owes Palestinians for the reallocation of a significant amount of territory for the creation of the modern nation-state of Israel, and the creation of a Two State solution with a free, independent and sovereign nation of Palestine goes a long way towards meeting that debt;
  
• The violent extremist (VE) organisation (I do not give VEs the oxygen of publicity by naming them - nor by using the T word) that committed the recent mass atrocities (which need to be referred to the ICC) has the complete abolition of Israel in its constitution - which implies genocide or at least ethnic cleansing. Their barbaric actions have triggered the inevitable attack by Israel, the inevitable destruction of themselves and the almost as certain formation of a future similar organisation, has caused geopolitical changes that will have an uncertain effect, and has severely damaged or destroyed the growing support for Palestinians (and a modern nation-state of Palestine) in places like the USA.
  There are clearly no winners here;
  
• The antisemitic actions (e.g., as reported here by The Guardian) of some protestors who claim to be pro-Palestinians are gravely concerning. I have been checking in with my Jewish friends, and they are being cautious - but are also concerned about human rights abuses that are happening on both sides.
  
• pro-Israel is not the same as anti-Palestinian, and the ethnic cleansing/genocidal remarks of Israel's hardline Prime Minister (whose changes have been met with vehement protests by thousands of Israelis in recent months - including a threat by hundreds of reservists to not serve [I suspect they are serving now, however]) fall into the latter category (and may also need to be referred to the ICC) ;
  
• pro-Palestinian is not the same as anti-Israel, and the attack that triggered these events and the antisemitic comments and threats being made by some fall into the latter category, not the former; 
• I have also observed pro-Palestinian moderators on social media rapidly shutting down and blocking antisemitic remarks.
  

Given those points, the importance of respect for international law, rather than making tribalistic comments either way (see here, on the "Informed Comment" website), is paramount for us - much as it vital for Israel to avoid making the same mistakes the USA did after 9/11 when it expanded its response to the terrible events of 9/11 by invading Iraq on a bunch of "pretexts" (lies).

I agree with the Prime Minister's comment (as reported at https://www.pm.gov.au/media/remarks-jewish-community-st-kilda), that

"The targeting of civilians and taking of hostages is an affront to all Australians and we condemn these horrific acts."

However, it is also important that Israel respect International Humanitarian Law, and I was thus disappointed with the following comments by the Prime Minister (as reported at https://www.pm.gov.au/media/radio-interview-abc-radio-melbourne-drive-0):

MOORE: And, Prime Minister, you've made it very clear, as have other members of the government, that we stand by Israel and its right to protect itself. I'm sure that you would have heard the Israeli Defence Minister, _ _, and time is of the essence so I'm not going to play what he said. But to quote him, 'we will eliminate everything'. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has promised to turn Gaza into, quote, 'a deserted island'. Do we stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel on the stated views of elimination?

PRIME MINISTER: Look, what our position is, I speak for myself and for Australia. And what we regard is the actions of _____ in initiating this issue that we're dealing with is the responsibility of _____. Israel will defend itself. We, of course, always are concerned about any civilian casualties, of course, is a concern. And that is what drove the concern about what occurred on the weekend where you had the slaughter of people who were going about their daily life, including the hundreds who were murdered attending a music festival.

MOORE: So, is it an unlimited stand, shoulder to shoulder? I'm just trying to work out if there is a point at which you urge restraint.

PRIME MINISTER: I use my own language, Ali, and I've just used it.

I would respectfully suggest that a comment along the lines of "we understand emotions are high and may lead to remarks in the heat of the moment that will later be the subject of second thoughts, but we expect Israel to comply with international law as they exercise their right to self defence" would have been a  better response - better for Australia, better for those Palestinian and Jewish people here (both sets of whom are no doubt feeling frustrated and helpless), and a better (in the sense of true international friend) for Israel.

No response to this email is necessary, and I do not request any specific action other than keeping these points in mind. 

 

Yours faithfully, 

I have toned down my remarks with a view to getting something through that is likely to have an effect or create a response. My opinion is that a stronger response would have been counter-productive. 

However, make no mistake: I fear we MAY be about to see a massive genocide the likes of which the world has not seen since the 1990s.

 

PS - I wish I had thought to add a comment about "The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith", which is a book and film based on a real historical event where abuse led to the victim of the abuse snapping and killing the abusers. If I get time and energy, I will add some info on that here - info that is better than Wikipedia, that is. 

Assumptions / basis 

In writing this, I have assumed / started from the following: 

• this blog states quite clearly that it is about political and human rights matters, including lived experience of problems, and thus I will assume readers are reasonable people who have noted the content warning in the post header;

Possible flaws 

Where I can, I will try to highlight possible flaws / issues you should consider:

• there may be flawed logical arguments in the above: to find out more about such flaws and thinking generally, I recommend Brendan  Myers’ free online course “Clear and Present Thinking”; 
  
• I could be wrong - so keep your thinking caps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.
  

 

If they are of any use of interest, the activism information links from my former news posts are available in this post. 

 

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Finally, remember: we need to be more human being rather than human doing.