More than 600 Australian Jews say 'no' to war in Gaza
Oz Jews say No

More than 600 Australian Jews say 'no' to war in Gaza

More than 600 Jewish Australians have signed a statement calling on Jewish community and religious leaders to speak out against the atrocities of the Netanyahu Government in Gaza.

Message from the editor
Catriona Jackson

Message from the editor

One of the things I love most about this job is the reading and listening (to radio).

China takes a softly-softly approach to diplomacy in the US
Shi Jiangtao

China takes a softly-softly approach to diplomacy in the US

China’s ambassador to Washington, Xie Feng has adopted a less assertive approach than some of his predecessors.


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Palestinian genocide gets some big-screen time
Hall Greenland

Palestinian genocide gets some big-screen time

Films and the internet are proving to be a valuable way for the message of the Palestinian struggle to be publicised.

Dozens of big industries want to plug in to Australia’s first 100 pct net renewable (wind and solar) grid
Giles Parkinson

Dozens of big industries want to plug in to Australia’s first 100 pct net renewable (wind and solar) grid

The death of manufacturing? It’s a constant refrain among the conservative nut jobs on Murdoch’s Sky After Dark and within the far right elements of the federal Coalition, who insist that more wind and solar will be the death of industry in Australia.

The Hegseth directive: Australia, spend more!
Binoy Kampmark

The Hegseth directive: Australia, spend more!

Australia’s obsequiousness before US power was again on show at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a security forum convened by the International Institute for Strategic Studies to discuss matters relevant to the Indo-Pacific.

Glenn Diesen and Jeffrey Sachs - NATO & Russia on the brink of nuclear war
Jeffrey D. Sachs,  Glenn Diesen

Glenn Diesen and Jeffrey Sachs - NATO & Russia on the brink of nuclear war

Prof. Jeffrey Sachs is a world-renowned economics professor, an advisor to political leaders around the world, a bestselling author, and a global leader in sustainable development. Prof. Sachs discusses the decline of diplomacy, rationality and self-preservation in the West. As Russia's nuclear forces were attacked, Western political leaders and media reacted with glee.

‘Strategic clarity’ over Taiwan is just so much American bombast
Alex Lo

‘Strategic clarity’ over Taiwan is just so much American bombast

china politics usa world

Ally or not, no one with a decent sense of self-preservation can afford to take a security guarantee by the United States at face value nowadays.

Gaza conditions 'worse than hell on Earth': Red Cross chief
Julia Conley

Gaza conditions 'worse than hell on Earth': Red Cross chief

We cannot continue to watch what is happening, said Mirjana Spoljaric. It's surpassing any acceptable legal, moral, and humane standard.

Friday essay: let’s rethink Australia’s national security – and focus on fairness and climate action, not blind fealty to the US
Emma Shortis

Friday essay: let’s rethink Australia’s national security – and focus on fairness and climate action, not blind fealty to the US

The change in the US after Donald Trump returned to power should make us think deeply whether Washington's aims and policies will offer us the security we need.

Environment: 5% of animal species currently threatened by climate change
Peter Sainsbury

Environment: 5% of animal species currently threatened by climate change

An Australian rodent was the first mammal to be driven to extinction by climate change. Renewables will supply almost all of global electricity’s 4% per year growth. Four personal behaviour changes could remove much of the average person’s carbon footprint.

Latest on Palestine and Israel

Palestinian genocide gets some big-screen time
Hall Greenland

Palestinian genocide gets some big-screen time

Films and the internet are proving to be a valuable way for the message of the Palestinian struggle to be publicised.

Gaza conditions 'worse than hell on Earth': Red Cross chief
Julia Conley

Gaza conditions 'worse than hell on Earth': Red Cross chief

We cannot continue to watch what is happening, said Mirjana Spoljaric. It's surpassing any acceptable legal, moral, and humane standard.

Talk of a two-state solution may not go much further
Andrew Thomas

Talk of a two-state solution may not go much further

A two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian problem has not been mentioned for ages, but was revived recently. However, it may end with just that – talk.

Media shortcomings in covering terrorist Netanyahu’s daily Gaza mass murders
Ralph Nader

Media shortcomings in covering terrorist Netanyahu’s daily Gaza mass murders

Opposition by former high officials in Israeli’s military and national security establishment and Israeli allies – France, England, and Germany – to the aimless killing of civilian families in Gaza is increasing.

Ali Kazak and the transformation of the politics of Palestine in Australia
David Spratt

Ali Kazak and the transformation of the politics of Palestine in Australia

It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing on 17 May of Ali Kazak, at the age of 78. Over five decades, Ali dedicated his enormous energy to building understanding and support for Palestine, the land of his birth.

Bogus charges of antisemitism are the new McCarthyism
Jeremy Rose

Bogus charges of antisemitism are the new McCarthyism

The word antisemitism has become so debased that depending on who is using it, I might well take it as a sign that the accused is worth listening to.

'These could be our children': Israeli women opposing the war, an interview
Ibrahim Quraishi

'These could be our children': Israeli women opposing the war, an interview

Not only abroad, but also within his own country, Israel's Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is finally facing growing and substantial protests against his war in Gaza.

When education funds genocide: students raise their voices in defiance
Refaat Ibrahim

When education funds genocide: students raise their voices in defiance

For more than a year, the world has been witnessing the genocidal massacres committed by Israel against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands have been killed, including university students and teachers, and academic institutions have been completely destroyed.


John Menadue's book on Israel's war against Gaza

Israel's war against Gaza

Media coverage of the war in Gaza since October 2023 has spread a series of lies propagated by Israel and the United States. This publication presents information, analysis, clarification, views and perspectives largely unavailable in mainstream media in Australia and elsewhere.

Download the PDF

Latest on China

China takes a softly-softly approach to diplomacy in the US
Shi Jiangtao

China takes a softly-softly approach to diplomacy in the US

China’s ambassador to Washington, Xie Feng has adopted a less assertive approach than some of his predecessors.

‘Strategic clarity’ over Taiwan is just so much American bombast
Alex Lo

‘Strategic clarity’ over Taiwan is just so much American bombast

china politics usa world

Ally or not, no one with a decent sense of self-preservation can afford to take a security guarantee by the United States at face value nowadays.

Grounds for optimism over bilateral ties with China
Colin Mackerras

Grounds for optimism over bilateral ties with China

As living in another country shows, mutual understanding is built on respect and openness.


John Menadue

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Pearls and Irritations leads the way in raising and analysing vital issues often neglected in mainstream media. Your contribution supports our independence and quality commentary on matters importance to Australia and our region.

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More from Pearls and Irritations


Latest letters to the editor

When critique sounds suspiciously like conspiracy

Adam Slonim — St Kilda East

John Menadue’s platform has become a staging ground for increasingly toxic screeds masquerading as foreign policy critique. Two recent pieces — Weaponisation of Antisemitism... and We Must Confound the Zionist Lobby— cross the line from criticism into crude conspiracy. The claim that antisemitism is “weaponised” to silence debate collapses under scrutiny. Israel is one of the most criticised nations on earth – by the UN, media, academics, and NGOs. If there is a Zionist conspiracy to suppress criticism, it’s doing a remarkably poor job. Every cause has its advocates, but only Jewish advocacy is routinely framed as shadowy...
US won’t stop the murders of the hungry in Gaza

Geoff Taylor — Perth

A great article from Ralph Nader, a man who ran four times to be US president himself. We watch on in utter disbelief as UN Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea votes against a ceasefire in Gaza, knowing that that means more mass murders by Israeli forces, because US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he wants Hamas totally eliminated, so there is “not an ember”.
Pre-1978 progress in China

Les Macdonald — Balmain NSW 2041

Firstly, I should say that I agree with Jocelyn about the guidance that Sun Tzu's The Art of War could give to the West as it already does to China. A very good article that summarises well the issues confronting China and the region. One area that I think may need further exploration is the progress that China made prior to opening up. Whilst it is undoubtedly true that Mao made some massive mistakes, I think it is also important to recognise the successes of that period. In 1949, China's life expectancy was 35 years. That put it...
One month in, the honeymoon is over

Bob Pearce — Adelaide SA

I could not agree more with this letter. Unfortunately, less than two weeks into the new government, we are finding out why so many people had difficulty deciding whom to vote for and left it until the last minute to choose the best of a bad bunch. The speed with which the WA gas contract was approved tells a story of how the WA votes were bought. With more to come, unfortunately. Sadly, the old saying in politics — You can’t make changes if you're not in government — only applies if you're prepared to do something once...



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