(Australian Jewish Democratic
Society)
Readers' Forum
Note that the views expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of the AJDS.
We have been overwhelmed by the passion and anger that has been aroused. We include a selection of the letters received.
David Langsam
Doodie Rosenblum
Ami Isseroff Co-ordinator PEACE Mid-East Dialog Group
Larry Stillman
Yvonne Fein
Rima Habib
Steve Brook
Asem Judeh
John RosenbergBernstein's "offensive" editorial
What The Age reported
How the AJDS responded to the AJN over their censorship
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 23:01:07 -0400
From: david langsam <DingoNet@compuserve.com>
Subject: bernstein sanction
The Bernstein Sanction
There is a principal of editorial independence in democratic societies that
requires publishers to allow their editors a rather large degree of freedom
to report and comment on the issues as they see them. While this
independence can - with all reputable publications - sometimes be bent a
little in the winds of turmoil and confusion, the strong sapling continues
to push ever upward. It is another thing altogether to break the tree as
the Sydney owners have by requiring the resignation of the Melbourne
editor, Mr David Bernstein.
In some cases publishers have editorial or reporting experience, but more
often than not the owners of the newspapers are specialists in running
businesses and are not always familiar with the day to day operational
needs of that business. One does not expect the Qantas chairman to be able
to fly a Boeing 747, although it might be helpful if he perhaps held a
private pilot's licence or occasionally travelled in aeroplanes.
But publishers should not be interfering in the day to day workings of
their newspapers - like the Murdoch newspapers, the British tabloids and
publications in non-democratic countries - because it reduces the primary
quality of their product: credibility. They are after all meant to be
"news" papers. The action by MS Roxanne Dunkel and Mr Ric Vatner are akin
to a Chicago industrial law firm telling the editor of the San Francisco
Chronicle how to report on the refurbishment of the Golden Gate Bridge.
One would have hoped the owners of the Australian Jewish News aspired to
the ethical traditions of ABC News, the Fairfax group of publications, The
Guardian and Independent in the UK and the Jerusalem Report and Ha'Aretz in
Israel, rather than those of the Baghdad Observer.
It is clearly the case that the publishers are uncomfortable with what is
considered normal mainstream debate in both the Israeli and the British
Jewish communities. But to allow the Betarist/Revisionist black propaganda
to influence the community to the extent it has - culminating in the
Bernstein Sanction - is really quite astonishing.
Paraphrasing Noam Chomsky, it is without any sense of irony that those who
seek to end wars are called "extremists", by those who wish to promote the
mass destruction of human life and in turn call themselves "moderates". It
is amazing that those issues debated in Tel Aviv and London, such as land
for peace including the Golan, negotiations with the PLO, the hegemony of
the haredi, have for many years been considered too hot for the AJN to
handle, or in need of special treatment.
Bernstein has very cautiously continued the work of his predecessor, Sam
Lipski, who having realised his error of judgement about the Palestinian
people and their leadership, embraced the Oslo peace process. It really
isn't all that radical to be in agreement with more than 65 percent of both
the Israeli and Palestinian people, not to mention both the Democrat
President and former Republican President of the United States of America.
Are they ALL anti-semites calling for the destruction of the State of
Israel? One would think not.
There are many parallels in history. On ABC Radio (17/18 April) over the weekend a former
US soldier compared Kosovo with America's own ethnic cleansing of Native
Americans. If Prime Minister John Howard really cared a whit about ethnic
cleansing he would immediately rescind his own Wik ethnic cleansing
legislation. Should Nato be called on to bomb Canberra or even more
obviously Jakarta? Are there not parallels?
And so too with Israel and Palestine. Surely the organ of the Australian
Jewish community has a responsibilty to discuss these issue freely, fully
and openly.
Having spent more than six months in a haphazard attempt to replace
Bernstein (I was also a candidate for the position, unsurprisingly
dispatched early in the process) the Sydney owners now find themselves
without an editor. Their actions have been a discredit to the community, a
public embarrassment which can only be remedied by the immediate
appointment - on a long term and strictly ethical contract - of the best
candidate for the position of Melbourne editor of the Australian Jewish
News: David Bernstein.
Their actions so far do not indicate that that is likely to be their course
of action and hence it is up to the Melbourne Jewish community to raise the
funds to buy back the newspaper that was once ours or to start a new
publication. Until that time, the website of the Australian Jewish
Democratic Society will have to suffice.
Yours David Langsam
From: "PEACE" <ami_iss@netvision.net.il>
Subject: AJN
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 12:12:13 +0300
Dear David Bernstein and friends,
I see nothing wrong with David Bernstein's article. You are only saying that the truth is not all one-sided. This recognition is the beginning of dialog and understanding and the way to peace. I wish we had more voices on both sides who would do that. You are invited to join PEACE and to write for PeaceWatch (http://www.ariga.com/peacewatch
Shalom,
Ami Isseroff
co-coordinator
PEACE Mid-East Dialog Group
[ editor's note: Ami has sent some information about himself for our readers.]"I was born in the US to Israeli parents. I came to Israel in 1969 to settle in Kibbutz Galon, but then studied neurobiology at the Hebrew University and Technion. I was a Senior Researcher at the Weizmann Institute following post-doctoral studies at the Yale Univ. School of Medicine. In 1984 I left science and became a computer programmer, systems analyst and technical writer. I started the PEACE group in 1998 with Ameen Hannoun, a Jordanian Palestinian, to promote dialog and consciousness of peace as a value on the Internet. The group is open to people of all political persuasions, and I make no apologies for the fact that I am a Zionist, just as Palestinians in the group should not feel they have to hide their convictions. The story of PEACE and some of our experiences and observations about dialog, and about using the internet for peace education and dialog are given at http://www.ariga.com/peacewatch/story1.htm.
PEACE maintains a dialog with individuals and organizations, publishes news and views about the Mideast and news of peace activism and dialog projects. Currently, I and others are engaged in a larger project to use the Internet to promote dialog and peace education."
From: "Doodie Ringelblum" <doodie@melbpc.org.au>
Subject: AJN, Bernstein etc
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 22:51:45 +1000
Dear AJDS
At the beginning of this century, Jewish newspapers often had blank pages
where the Czar's police censored the opinion of the columnists.
What a tragedy that the end of the century, the same censorship still
exists.
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 15:07:06 +1000
From: John Rosenberg <johnr@infotech.monash.edu.au>
Subject: David Bernstein
I was surprised and saddened to read of the resignation (sacking) of David
Bernstein as Acting Editor of The Jewish News. I have no doubt the
newspaper has improved enormously during his tenure. The balance of
reporting has been much fairerand issues which would never have been raised
under the previous regime are being debated.
I have to say that I feel that Kron's cartoon was probably in poor taste.
I have some sympathy with the issues raised by David Bernstein in regard to
the history of Israel. However, I do not think that the current conflict
was an appropriate base on which to raise them in a cartoon. This said, it
is certainly not a reason to sack him. I have no doubt that there were
people involved who have been unhappy with the lack of bias in the
newspaper over the last few months and saw this as an opportunity ot remove
Mr Bernstein.
I certainly see no problem with the davkah column which I have just read.
it raises important issues which need to be discussed. I agree with David
Bernstein that Israel is now strong enought for us to talk about them. I
would hope that we are stronger than our current (Australian) Prime
Minister who keeps wanting to sweep similar issues under the carpet.
I strongly support the reinstatement of David Bernstein. I fear that if he
does not return, the Jewish News is in danger of becoming a narrow biased
newspaper controlled by the ultra religious.
Yours sincerely
John Rosenberg
East St Kilda
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 00:07:07 +1000
From: sjbrook <sjbrook@netlink.com.au>
Subject: AJN
I know nothing of the machinations behind the removal of David Bernstein
as acting Editor of the Australian Jewish News. But thanks to the
Internet, I have now been able to read his "inflammatory" article which
was pulled out of last week's edition of the paper.
The article dared to suggest that the world's first Jewish state in two
thousand years was not without blemish, and by implication, that not all
Jews were angels. In no way, wrote Bernstein, does this detract from
Israel's legitimacy or its moral standing.
The article is about as inflammatory as a cold poultice, and I strongly
urge the owners of the Jewish News to think again.
Steve Brook, Elwood
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1999 10:03:16 +1000
From: larry stillman <larrys@vicnet.net.au>
Subject: AJN/Bernstein
Of course David Bernstein's departure from the Australian Jewish News is a
disgrace, but could anything better have been expected in a community which
does not pride itself on the principles of free speech and inquiry?
Unfortunately, the rejectionist, revisionist ideology that provides
Palestinians with no place in the land of Israel/Palestine has become an
official dogma for many in the Australian Jewish community. The truth - or
debate over the truth - really hurts and pains. There is this myth of
'clean arms' that seems to have embedded itself beyond any semblance of
reality, when the truth of what went on in the late 40s is very clear.
Thus the Jewish News' problem with controversy and how it deals with it is
our own example of the power of the conservative (religious) right in
Israel and the effect it is having on diaspora communities.
Actually, I am surprised that David lasted so long!! I hope that his
talents are better served in the mainstream media. I am sure that he could
take on many tasks, and let the Jewish News fold in upon itself.
Some of us remember what happened to the other Jewish newspaper in the 60's
- the Jewish Herald - Mark Braham dared then, during that period of cowboy
euphoria after the 6-day war to question if everything was going right. He
was vilified, and his paper closed (and wasn't there a mysterious fire/).
Larry Stillman
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1999 07:25:58 +1000
From: Rissy <rimah@one.net.au>
Subject: AJN
It is with uttermost shock that I learned of the sacking of Mr Bernstein.
I could not beleive that someone could get sacked for expressing an
opinion different to their bosses. I could not beleive that this
medeival practice is being applied, in Australia, on the verge of the
twenty first century.
Mr Bernstein's article is very mild. His cartoons only portrayed a mere
observation. The war in 1948 DID result in millions of palestinian
refugees, who had to walk in miserable conditions to south Lebanon and
Jordan, just like the war in Kosevo is resulting in Albanian refugees.
The palestinian refugees, deported with none of their possessions in
1948, are still mainly living all over the world, still carrying
"Palestinian refugee" passports.
Mr Bernstein only stated the truth, I don't understand what the outrage
was all about.Rima Habib
University of Technology, Sydney
Broadway sydney 2000
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1999 10:43:04 +1000
From: Yvonne Fein <fradl@ozemail.com.au>
Subject: Australian Jewish News
It's so mild - especially for those of us who've red some of Bernstein's really hot stuff - that its withdrawal and his subsequent resignation makes me want to weep! Yes I know Israel isn't under threat and agunots' rights aren't being abused. It's only a small matter of censorship. There was actually a blank space in last week's edition of the paper - anybody old enough or erudite enough to remember in whose
regimes blank spaces in the print media were a highlight - where the publishers withdrew David B's column, claiming it was against editorial policy.
Heads of Jewish organisations have been heard to applaud his resignation. These 'leaders' - generally bullish, right wing and certainly not elected by the community in anything faintly resembling democratic process - support the paper's appalling and abysmal attempts to 'protect' the community from being exposed to the radical nature of the Bernstein world view. They are an embarrassment.
I do not agree with everything David B has to say, and damned if I would waste my life defending to the death anybody's right to say anything in that silly newspaper, but it is still a newspaper. It is how we can be judged by the outside world and right now, it appears that the worst manifestations of shtetl paranoia are dictating policy. The previous editor to the AJN supported the withdrawal of the article. This is an added outrage: that one journalist actually facilitates the gagging of another in a misguided attempt to dictate community opinion, especially when the gagged journalist has a proven track record of
integrity and ability.
Please be clear: this is not about whether you or I agree or disagree with David B's opinions. It's about whether we will quietly tolerate a blatant attack on our rights as Jews to have a free Jewish press. When
that attack comes from within - and there are any number of conservative religious and political forces in our community who have long wanted to silence Bernstein and have said so publicly - we should be very afraid.Yvonne Fein
From: "Asem Judeh" <ajudeh@alphalink.com.au>
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 01:26:07 +1000
I was surprised and saddened to read of the resignation (sacking) of David Bernstein as Acting Editor of The Jewish News mainly after I read his article AJDS website http://avoca.vicnet.net.au/ -ajds/davkah.htm which there is nothing wrong in the article and may be Bersntein's article "If I'd lived the live of a Palestinian ..." published in the Age, May 14, 1998, more stronger than (Davkah) which lead to his resignation (or sacking).
As a regular reader of the AJN, I noticed the AJN has improved enormously during his tenure with more balanced materials being presented in the AJN.
I will take this opportunity to knock on the Australian Jewish community door again, as I did many times before, to start a dialogue based on history and truth.
Once the Peace Process started all the Zionism propaganda must disappear, and start teaching our kids the TRUTH and the history honestly. One of these propaganda that the Zionism convince themselves and others that Israel the most democratic country in the region.Dalit Kaplan, an Australian young Jew, wrote an article "Jews and Palestinians meet at Habo" (AJN, October 30, 1998). She said: "At first, as one would expect, we were somewhat apprehensive. It also seemed odd to be sitting and laughing with people who have been our traditional enemies throughout a large part of history."
"... Another point of concern was the influence of the media upon the Palestinian-Jewish relationship. .... Great stress was placed on the need for Jews and Palestinians to bridge gaps between the people and to end all feelings of contempt for one another..... The experience was certainly an eye-opener. During those two hours, I gained a wealth of knowledge concerning the Palestinian people. However, I now have more QUESTIONS, and am eager to learn much more about these people to whom I find I can relate."
This is one of the Jewish youth, one of the world's future, she and other youth (from both sides) needs us to tell them the TRUTH and the real history to be able to help our people to live in harmony and share the land peacefully as the Arab Palestinian and Jews lived there before Israel creation.
The world is getting smaller and smaller with internet and technology. And most importantly the peace process has started and no one can stop it. We can not any more hide the truth from our kids ... our future.
Dan McGowan http://www.deiryassin.org and Marc H. Ellis in their book "Remembering Deir Yassin: The Future of Israel and Palestine" said:
"Acknowledging the violation of Palestinian rights is a prerequisite of a morally acceptable Jewish nationalism. The duty to acknowledge and make restitution also suggests the kind of practical measures Israel should take in the current conflict ... It should teach in its schools the truth about the destruction of Arab villages in Israel... It should create memorials and commemorative holidays for Palestinian victims. Israel should, in short, create a Jewish nationalism with a transfomed relationship both to its own past and, in the present, to the Palestinian people".
This must be the mission for the two communities in Australia.
Regards,
Asem Judeh
And an answer form Israel:
From: "PEACE" <ami_iss@netvision.net.il>
To: "Asem Judeh" <ajudeh@alphalink.com.au>, <LabibKobti@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 12:11:27 +0300
Dear Asem,
I must write frankly - for the good of peace and also for the good of the Palestinian cause.
There are two ways to approach peace - one is to avoid historical discussion entirely because it is futile. The other is to try to understand what has happened from the point of view of the other - and to try to encompass the whole of the truth, as Mr. Bernstein did in his article. If you expect empathy and understanding from Zionists, then you must likewise examine the history of your own people in a more objective way.
Asem at least, has been engaged in dialog long enough to know that what is written here is grossly inaccurate. It was Arab pressure that closed the gates of Palestine to immigration in the 1930s. During the 1920s and up to 1947 in fact, a good portion of the Zionist movement was in favor of a bi-national state. The need for a Jewish state only became official Zionist policy after the Biltmore declaration of 1942. The violence incited by the Mufti and his gangs began in 1920. The Mufti explained to the British, during WWII, that he wished to implement in Palestine a solution to the Jewish question similar to the 'model' of the solution implemented in Germany and Italy. Indeed, look at history.
The Zionist slogan was not 'A land without people -terra nullius' as is often quoted by anti-Zionists, but 'a land without a people.' The Arabs of Palestine did not consider themselves a separate people from other Arabs. They had lived under the Turks for hundreds of years and had not made much attempt to gain independence. The more optimistic Zionists thought that the Arabs could live in a Jewish state as well as in a Turkish one. It was only after Arab opposition - violent opposition - became clear - that Zionists began seeing the urgency in the issue of a 'Jewish Majority,' Moslem rule was better then the most barbaric of the European countries.
But Jews were second class citizens, confined to certain quarters of Jerusalem, insulted and beaten quite often.
Between 1920 and 1947, the Arab population of Palestine increased far more than that of any of its neighbors. Likewise the standard of living. Nonetheless, the Mufti and his friends continued to spread the lie about the Zionists dispossessing the Arabs, and to incite murder. They attacked and killed many more Arabs - who were opposed to this madness -then Jews. So there were few moderate Arab politicians left, and the ones that remained kept their opinions to themselves. This is what made partition inevitable. In 1947, the Arab league declared its opposition to the UN partition resolution. Its representatives openly declared that they aimed to drive the Jews into the sea. They used that expression literally. You cannot ignore the role of any of this in creating the refugee problem. Arabs have admitted that propaganda and exagerrations about Deir Yassin that they spread helped scare Palestinians into fleeing.
The refusal of Israel to allow refugees to return was reprehensible. It was also understandable, since arab leaders made it quite explicit that the purpose of clamoring for return was to destroy the State of Israel.
To this day, even though there is supposed to be a peace process, Palestinians continue to spread the story that Zionists took their land before 1947.
Palestinians ask us what did we do to you, on the recent history
Here is a partial list: Hebron and Jerusalem 1920-1921;
Hebron and Jerusalem, 1929; 1936 riots;
collaboration with Nazis: Ahmed Shukhairy and Haj Amin El-Husseini for
example, repeated declarations that you will drive the Jews into the sea 1947 -1948; Kfar Etzion 1948, Blockade of Jerusalem 1947 - 1948; more declarations that you will drive the Jews into the Sea; Ma'alot Massacre of school children;Munich Massacre; Entebbe;Achille Lauro; Bus bombings in Jerusalem and bomb in Dizengoff Center - aimed and timed to destroy the peace process. The list goes on and on.
The Arab Palestinian people have sewn the wind and you are reaping the whirlwind.
Don't expect that you get much sympathy from most Israelis, and don't expect that Israelis will deal frankly with our history, until you are ready to do the same.
Shalom/Salamat,
Ami
From: "Doodie Ringelblum" <doodie@melbpc.org.au>
Subject: AJN, Bernstein etc
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 22:51:45 +1000
Dear AJDS
At the beginning of this century, Jewish newspapers often had blank pages
where the Czar's police censored the opinion of the columnists.
What a tragedy that the end of the century, the same censorship still
exists.