From AJN
Qantas to probe antisemitic slur
QANTAS, the Spirit of Australia, will conduct a full inquiry into an antisemitic incident witnessed by a Jewish passenger.
Daniel Moses was flying first class from Singapore to Sydney earlier this month when a flight attendant made a number of antisemitic and insensitive remarks.
He logged a series of complaints with the airline soon after and following two weeks of inaction, finally received a response.
Qantas will examine both the in-flight incident and the poor response Moses initially received from the national carrier. Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon also telephoned Moses to personally apologise for the incident.
Moses was on his way home from a holiday in the Maldives when he overheard another passenger speaking to a flight attendant and after settling the woman’s issue, the flight attendant allegedly turned to Moses and said, “Jews”.
When Moses, a 35-year-old businessman from Sydney, asked her what she meant, she replied, “That’s what you get when you deal with Jews.”
Even after Moses revealed that he himself was Jewish, the flight attendant continued her slur.
“Well, you better go and tell her [the elderly French lady] that she is letting your team down,” before adding that South African Jews were the “worst”.
In his complaint, Moses wrote, “In 35 years, I have never been subjected to such racist comments, and not only of an antisemitic nature. I mean about any race or religion.”
He told the AJN that even though he is Jewish, he is adamant he would have filed a similar complaint if he had heard a Qantas staff member talking about any faith or race in a derogatory manner.
Moses said the call from Dixon showed how seriously Qantas was taking his allegations and said he wouldn’t hesitate to fly with the carrier in the future.
“I am satisfied that they are doing what they can to prevent it but I am not exactly sure how they can do it,” Moses said. “You can never be 100 per cent sure that it won’t happen again.”
In a brief statement, the airline assured customers that it “will not tolerate any forms of racial discrimination”.
Bagelblogger: Whilst the response from Mr Dixon shows the seriousness that he considers this complaint, the obvious question still remains unanswered. Is the Flight attendant still working for Qantas and what if any management action will be taken towards this member of staff?
References:
AJN: Qantas to probe antisemitic slur
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Bethlehem visitors to find no room
A delegation of civic leaders from Bethlehem could be barred from entering Australia to formalise a sister city arrangement with Marrickville Council in Sydney's inner west.
Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews confirmed yesterday that Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh and other delegates from the council - which is controlled by Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation - would have to undergo stringent tests before being granted visas.
"This can involve assessments by other relevant government agencies," he said.
And Alexander Downer attacked the Marrickville sister city plan, revealed in The Australian yesterday.
"I don't have a problem with Bethlehem, but in terms of the individuals there, Marrickville Council is very foolish to associate itself with people who support terrorist organisations," the Foreign Minister said. The council "should not in any way give encouragement to people who support terrorism".
Independent Marrickville councillor Dimitrios Thanos last night denounced the expansion of the sister city scheme to include Bethlehem as "really silly".
"It's become a travel rort," Mr Thanos said. "Every time the councillors want to travel overseas, they name a new sister city and they're off."
But Marrickville Mayor Morris Hanna, also an independent, insisted the arrangement was non-political and would not involve ratepayer funds.
The motion passed by the councillors on Tuesday stipulates that "council host a formal reception for the signing of a sister cities agreement, a tour of Marrickville, two dinners and present appropriate gifts as part of the delegation's visit".
The Marrickville move follows a decision by neighbouring Leichhardt Council in April to proceed with a friendship arrangement with Hebron. Both towns are on the West Bank and are under the control of the elected Palestinian Authority, which has a Hamas majority.
The Marrickville and Leichhardt plans have angered Jewish groups and were condemned yesterday by Waverley Mayor George Newhouse, who has been preselected by Labor to contest the eastern Sydney seat of Wentworth against Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
"This is obviously an orchestrated campaign by activist groups in the inner west," Mr Newhouse said.
"It just makes a mockery out of local government. I don't think it's an appropriate use of ratepayers' money to be wining and dining elements that are associated with a proscribed terrorist group."
References:
The Australian: Bethlehem visitors to find no room
Picture Credit: Cath's Blog; Arabian Adventures
Picture Selection: Mr Bagel
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A SYDNEY municipal council is set to establish a controversial sister-city relationship with a Palestinian town, despite protests from Jewish community leaders.
A Marrickville Council subcommittee this week voted unanimously to back the twin-city pairing with Bethlehem, just weeks after Leichhardt Council established similar ties with Hebron.
The move may see ratepayers’ funds go towards the sister-city project, and the hosting of a visit to Australia later this year by Bethlehem Mayor Victor Bataresh, who opposes a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Vic Alhadeff tried to persuade the council – unsuccessfully – that the sister-city plan effectively signalled support for Hamas.
“The real concern is that this is a partisan initiative, which ignores the realities on the ground – that it is a relationship with a town that is controlled by a terrorist organisation,” Alhadeff said.
Addressing the council on Tuesday, Alhadeff emphasised that the majority of the Bethlehem’s seats are controlled by Hamas and allied parties, including Islamic Jihad.
“Will Marrickville seek an assurance that no Hamas members will be included in a Bethlehem delegation [to Sydney]?
Funds from this Council could end up in Hamas coffers, supporting terrorism,” Alhadeff told the committee.
Waverley Mayor George Newhouse expressed similar concerns, stating he was “horrified” to hear about the relationship that Marrickville Council was embarking on with Bethlehem.
“I don’t think this is the place of local government to be getting involved in international politics in this way. It is highly inappropriate and highly disappointing.” Newhouse is drafting a letter to Marrickville Council to “seriously urge them to reconsider ... councillors must be really careful that if they are doing this [getting involved with other countries], they are not dealing with people with blood on their hands”.
Marrickville councillor Sam Iskandar, who chaired the meeting on Tuesday, said that ratepayers’ money would go only towards funding the twinning agreement and a reception for the Bethlehem mayor. He added that motivations for the sister-city program were peaceful.
“We are not supporting the violence. The idea to educate people about peace and harmony and exchange social experiences,” he said.
Marrickville Mayor Morris Hanna added: “We shouldn’t interfere in religion or politics with this. It’s not our business.We’re just trying to build relationships with people.
We have speakers all the time, and [the Bethlehem mayor is] just like any other.” Marrickville Council has had an “in principle” sister-city relationship with Bethlehem since 2001.
The proposal will go before the full council next week. The motion follows a pairing between Leichhardt Council and
the Palestinian city of Hebron last month, which is currently being revisited due to protests from Jewish activists in Sydney’s inner-west.
References:
AJN: Sydney local council to partner Bethlehem
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NSW Jewish Board of Deputies Ceo Vic Alhadeff Issued an unsuccessful plea to Marrickville Council Members on Tuesday night to reconsider forming a sister-city relationship with Bethlehem.
Councillor Iskandar, councillors, good evening.
My name is Vic Alhadeff, CEO of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. Thank you for the opportunity to address you on the proposal that Marrickville enter a sister-city relationship with Bethlehem, and for a delegation from Bethlehem to visit Marrickville in August.
Profound concerns flow from this proposal:
10 of the 15 seats on Bethlehem Council are controlled by Hamas and allied parties, including Islamic Jihad. (6 Hamas, 1 Islamic Jihad, and 3 Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – including Mayor Victor Batarseh).
Hamas is part of the Muslim Brotherhood which seeks world Islamic domination. It aims to dominate the Christian peoples of the world, the Jews and all other faiths.
It demands that Israel be destroyed.
If that were not enough, it holds the killing of Jews – not just Israelis, but all Jews - as God's will.
To quote from the Hamas charter:
“The time [of redemption] will not come until Muslims will fight the Jews [and kill them] until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry: O Muslim! there is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!”
Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh – who is due to lead the delegation to Marrickville – said his party “is against the two-state solution acclaimed by the international community.” In other words, he seeks Israel’s destruction.
Before 1991, 70 – 80 percent of Bethlehem was Christian that figure is now less than 15 per cent after a campaign of discrimination against the Christians of the city.
Last month German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, refused to meet the Mayor of Bethlehem because Bethlehem Council is dominated by Hamas identities.
Given the above, I have three concerns:
1. That a Bethlehem delegation will include Hamas members. This means an international guest could address a public meeting hosted by this council and could call for the destruction of Israel and death to the Jews. Will Marrickville seek an assurance that no Hamas members will be included in a Bethlehem delegation?
2. Funds from this council could end up in Hamas coffers, supporting terrorism. It is not permitted by Australian law to fund a terrorist organization.
3. If Marrickville’s objective is peace and goodwill, would it rather consider a sister-city relationship with the Arab-Israeli city of Neve Shalom, whose raison d'etre is coexistence?
Finally, according to Australian law, Hamas is a terrorist organization. According to Australian law, Islamic Jihad is a terrorist organization. They dominate Bethlehem Council, with which Marrickville is considering a sister-city relationship.
Thank-you.
Bagelblogger: Vic Alhadeff in addressing Marrickville council broaches what must be the most controversial of points.
Marrickville councillor Sam Iskandar the chairperson of Tuesday nights meeting stated
“We are not supporting the violence. The idea to educate people about peace and harmony and exchange social experiences,”
If this is so, then why of all the possible cities in the world would you pick a sister city that is so entangled with Hamas and Islamic Jihad? It flies in the face of logic.
The sad reality of the mistreatment of Bethlehem's Christians by Hamas and other Muslim organisations should be a flag of warning regarding Bethlehem Council's desire for 'Peace and Harmony'.
Marrickville council's desire for a sister city arrangement doesn't educate towards Peace and Harmony it simply legitimises the very hatred prevalent in Hamas and that of its majority on the Bethlehem council.
References:AJN: Speech by Vic Alhadeff to Marrickville Council
AJN: Sydney local council to partner Bethlehem
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