Letter

In response to Antisemitism envoy's report 'Trumpian'

Trumpian? No, McCarthyism

The Big Ride for Palestine raises between $20,000 to $30,000 per year for Palestinian charities e.g a kindergarten, an agricultural development project. The complexity and expense of transmitting the funds to the charities is beyond the capacity of such a small fund-raising project.

They arranged for APHEDA – Union Aid Abroad to transmit the funds as it has well-established means to do so. APHEDA refused to act as a conduit for the funds if any of the participants expressed overt support for Boycott Divestment Sanctions or if any BDS logos appeared on the riders apparel.

APHEDA made it clear that they feared that their government funding would be suspended if they had any association with BDS. Curtailment of the freedom of political expression is already in place. What is happening is not Trumpian so much as McCarthyism.

— John Curr from MANLY