I am part of a small group of people who intended to hold an event to discuss the situation in Gaza. Shortly before our event was scheduled, the Jewish board of Deputies pressed our venue operators to cancel the event. This incursion into our right to gather was a striking example of the ethos that informs so much of the Zionist lobby’s methods of silencing any departure from what is perceived as pro-Israel lines of argument. Thus:

I’m writing to you from Bundeena in response to your attempt to curtail our planned community meeting, the main focus of which was to discuss ways to help alleviate the suffering in Palestine, particularly the surviving children of Gaza.

You contacted our venue, and although I can’t know exactly what was said or written, I do know, by its result, that it was intimidating enough for our hosts to revoke their invitation. People were furious at this interference in their right to free speech. This is a small community – word spread.

It seems that your organisation is unaware that all the noise from various Zionist organisations globally, who frequently fuse horror at Israeli actions with antisemitism, are backfiring. It is disturbing to hear people speaking of Jewishness and Zionism as if they are synonymous. It is chilling to witness the conflation of disgust at Israeli Government policies with Judaism. So much damage is being done to Jews globally by this overreach and I fear the backlash that is coming, led by actual antisemites who will certainly see Israel’s war and Zionist arrogance as good enough reasons to attack Jews anywhere.

Let people speak. Do not try to silence us. And encourage the brutal government you seem to support unconditionally to come to its senses, instead of directing your antipathy outwards, toward compassionate, peace-loving people. Stop using the dreadfulness of 7 October as an excuse to support this vile hate-building exercise in Gaza and the extension of Israel into Gaza and the West Bank. Such grotesque excess is unconscionable. Israel cannot “win” militarily. All that will emerge from this hideous debacle is generations of people hating Israel – and Jews. Describing the understandable horror that so many people feel about the abuse of human rights in Palestine is not antisemitic. Silencing this dissent is breeding antisemitism.

… I received a reply to this letter in which the author expressed the concern that we were creating division rather than promoting dialogue (although how closing down conversations promotes dialogue is a strategy with which I’m unfamiliar). My response, in part, follows:

Nevertheless, we secured a new venue and screened The Endgame, a film that asks whether the forced transfer of Palestinians from their lands is Israel’s ultimate goal, and does not, as you write, “draw on conspiracy theories that echo longstanding antisemitic blood libels”. Perhaps you have not seen the film? Two of the original three speakers attended, and gave fascinating talks about Australian involvement in the technologies of war, particularly in Israel/Palestine, and historical background to the Gaza genocide was the other main feature. Some of the audience were very moved, particularly the Jewish attendees, who are appalled at the temerity of Zionist lobbyists who hold that to deplore the actions of Israel is to be antisemitic.

Our event did indeed promote dialogue, not division. We welcomed any interested parties to attend and participate, rather than trying to close anyone down. Indeed, it was the largest crowd we’ve seen so far at our small symposia series where our community discusses philosophical and cultural issues on a regular basis. More meetings are planned on subjects to do with Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, and particularly what Ehud Olmert has referred to as Israel’s “war of devastation: indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians”.

You claim to represent the NSW Jewish community; however, there are those of us of Jewish heritage who certainly do not think you stand for us. Nor do I believe you are “well-placed to navigate relationships between Judaism and Zionism” as you claim. In fact, it seems you are wilfully blinding yourselves in a kind of rhetorical fog that can, at best, emit platitudes to do with “blood libels” etc, when people express their horror of the massive and relentless overkill currently decimating Gaza.

As I mentioned in my previous email, I believe that members of the “pro-Israel” lobby are effectively doing the opposite to what they intend; that is, inculcating “anti-Israel” sentiment, while also hardening people’s hearts globally against Jews. Uncritical acceptance of any atrocity committed in the name of Jews or of Israel’s “safety” are gutting the spirit of social justice still so central to many Jewish people. This does incalculable harm to all. Israeli messianic territorialism is not Judaism.

Your attempts to reconfigure peace-builders as perpetrators of “hate” is a cruel and dangerous lie in the face of the murder and starvation of an entire people. Showing films and holding talks about what the IDF is doing in Palestine, and how powerful industrial and advocacy groups comply with this, is not promoting conspiracy theories or antisemitic tropes, as you suggest, it’s simply looking at the appalling reality we’re confronted with daily.

Yours sincerely,

Louise Katz

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.