Menachem Vorchheimer
From the AustralianRace hate victim settles police dispute
VICTORIA Police will educate officers on race relations after admitting an officer failed to intervene in an attack on a Jewish man.
The police force agreed to use the treatment of Melbourne businessman Menachem Vorchheimer in educating its officers about prejudice.
Mr Vorchheimer forced the police into the embarrassing admission of wrongdoing after he was attacked in October 2006 by a group of drunken country footballers who were on a mini-bus being driven by off-duty policeman Terence Moore.
Senior Constable Moore will now assist in educating other police officers about dealing with situations involving racial and religious vilification, Victoria Police said today.
"Victoria Police proposes Snr Const Moore's experience and that of Mr Vorchheimer and his family, be incorporated into training utilised in developing and training its people,'' Deputy Commissioner Simon Overland said.
He said the force regretted Mr Vorchheimer was beaten up in front of his young children, suffered pro-Nazi and anti-semitic abuse and had his yamulka and shabbat hat stolen by the Ocean Grove footballers on the bus as it drove through Caulfield.
"Such conduct can only be described as disgraceful and should not be tolerated in our community against anyone,'' Mr Overland said.
"Victoria Police is of the view that Snr Const Moore made an error of judgment and did not act in a positive manner to intervene at the earliest opportunity.''
Mr Vorchheimer told reporters he had never sought nor received financial compensation.
He said the aim of his two-year battle at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal against police had been to remove racial and religious vilification.
"Looking at the bigger picture we believe the outcome supports our endeavours for the betterment of the community,'' Mr Vorchheimer said.
"We want to reverse certain things that are not right in our community.''
Mr Vorchheimer, who sat in front of the bus refusing to let it pass after being attacked, began a two-year crusade against the police and later moved his family to the US.
He has now moved back to Melbourne.
Following the incidents, the Ocean Grove football club's captain, James Dalton, 28, was fined for offensive behaviour without a conviction and Matthew Cuthbert, 24, was convicted and fined for using insulting language.
Charges of theft and assault against Dalton and Cuthbert were dropped.
Bagelblogger:
References:
The Australian: Race hate victim settles police dispute
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The Peace team training
The JTA has an article on a joint "Israeli-Palestinian team is in Australia to compete in an international Australian Rules football tournament."
"The 26-man “peace team” -- 13 Israelis and 13 Palestinians aged 16 to 36 -- conducted a sports clinic Thursday in Sydney for 160 Muslim, Jewish, Aboriginal and Christian youth.
The team, an initiative of the Peres Center for Peace and its nongovernmental organizational partner, the Al-Quds Organization, will be welcomed officially Friday by the governor of New South Wales, Marie Bashir.
It will fly to Melbourne to play next week against Britain, Papua New Guinea and Nauru.
Most of the players had never heard of Australia's indigenous sport, let alone played it, before January. They have persevered through challenges such as snow and checkpoint closures. A Palestinian player was forced to drop out following death threats because he was suspected of collaborating with Israelis.
But an Israeli player, Kevin Nafte, said the team pushed on despite the problems.
“When terrorists were firing rockets into Sderot and the IDF was operating in Gaza, an emotional rage transpired into a motivational force," he said. "And after the two abducted soldiers were returned to Israel in coffins, everyone just kept on playing football with a renewed enthusiasm and spirit.”
The Third International Cup is the sport’s equivalent of soccer's World Cup. Eighteen teams, including Canada and the United States, are competing in Melbourne between Aug. 27 and Sept. 7.
Australian Rules football is a blend of Gaelic football and rugby. There are three posts at each end of a giant oval and each team has 18 players."
The disconcerting thing is Aussie rules has four goal posts, have they moved the goal post to simulate the Palestinian approach to peace negotiations?
A Palestinian member being forced to drop out of the Palestinian team due to death threats from fellow Palestinians puts a whole new pressure on the concept of team selection.
Mr Bagel
References:
JTA: 'Peace team' playing in AustraliaFurther Details:
World Footy news
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Menachem Vorchheimer
