I lunched with my neighbour HH yesterday. She has a close friend who she has known for over sixty years, and this friend is Jewish.
I broached the subject of the recent racially based massacre of innocent Jewish Australians, and a couple of people from overseas. HH, gave me the Jewish perspective as described by her friend. She said she felt fear, she felt isolated and threatened, with nowhere to turn aside from her own Jewish friends. She felt threat from Australia, which of course was never there.
As the week subsequent to the massacre went on, she was overwhelmed by the public support and love from Australia and Australians themselves.
I further questioned HH. Have you ever heard any multi generational white Australians like us be anti Jewish? No. We concluded we were just not really that interested in who among us are Jewish. Ray and I lived in the suburb of Balaclava for about nine years, surrounded by Jewish people. No one ever told us they were Jewish, but we know many were. There were the funny men a train station along in Ripponlea who walked around on Friday nights in tall black hats and strange clothing, but so?
While the attack may have been by radical Muslim men targeting Jews, in my view, Australians have reacted with the appropriate sympathy and support; seeing the massacre more as an attack on Australians by radical and fanatical religious terrorists.
Our quite strong gun laws have been found to be wanting. The laws are old and have not been updated for a long time. Guns have moved on to be faster and smarter. New South Wales, where the event happened is going to reduce the number of guns owned from six to four. What a laugh. Two guns, maximum. A single shot rifle and a shotgun is quite enough. There is a polling result with 80% of Australians wanting stronger gun laws. Bite the bullet PM Albanese and take advantage of the situation to restrict guns a lot further.
Joining a gun club or sporting shooters club seems to be a way around restrictive gun ownership. This needs to be strongly addressed.
The tv broadcast of a memorial one week later was brilliant. I had no intention of watching it, yet I was mesmerised. How this first class memorial, broadcast by tv, was put together in a few days was truly amazing. Well done, that girl and boy.
We now need to move on and allow consequences take their course.
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What a heartbreaking incident.
ReplyDeleteIt truly was Darla. It was an attack on Australia, after it being a direct on Jewish.
DeleteMy son-in-law's brother's family was in Sydney when the attack took place. They suddenly saw lots of people running and followed them to safety. Frightening.
ReplyDeleteWow JB. That is not too many degrees of separation.
DeleteI agree with you, I've never known any anti-Jewish sentiment in Australia. I think Jewish people stay under the radar: no anti social behaviour, no crime, no gangs. They're model citizens and respected for it
ReplyDeleteAll quite true Kylie. Thanks.
DeleteI was dumbfounded by the attack. But what was even more dumbfounded to me was Australia's immediate reaction was to tighten up the laws so that it never happens again. I would cry to see such a response in my country.
ReplyDeleteDebby, Australia's gun control laws in theory are strict, but there are so many holes in them. I hope this tightens them up further.
DeleteIMO Australians are not antisemitic at all, but a majority are anti what Netanyahu is doing to Gaza. I wish some prominent Jews would speak out against that.
ReplyDeleteJ, prominent Jews have spoken out about Netanyahu's actions, and I really don't think most Australian Jews enjoy hearing of the killing of innocents in Gaza. But some high profile Jews do need to speak more about the actions of the government of Israel.
DeletePoliticians just want Muslim votes.
ReplyDeleteRoentare, Muslims might have higher voting numbers, but Jewish probably have more power. Yes, politicians go for numbers, without doubt.
DeleteHatred made its way into Australia through overseas wars and personal hatred
ReplyDeleteYou only need a gun .for your legitimate job like policing or farming and that should be managed by secure storage facilities
Guns machetes and drugs are coming in through borders that are not being policed or through the wharves so there must be organised crime happening despite border screening on the controlled entry points. Criminals will not give up their weapons and so it won’t cost the government a# much as they say so don’t hang your hopes on that.
What happened at Bondi was terrorism .
What happened afterwards from ordinary Australians was what happens when we unite against pure evil . Jewish people are part of our fabric, , they are living ordinary lives just like every one of the various faiths and of course atheists and agnostics .
You are quite right about guns. But can every Temu and Shein parcel entering Australia be checked? Technology should be helping a lot to detect illegal imports. Every so often corruption is rooted out, but not enough.
DeleteYou last paragraph says it so well.
Happy Christmas dearHeart 🩷🎅🏼
ReplyDeleteThank you treasure.
Delete"While the attack may have been by radical Muslim men targeting Jews, in my view, Australians have reacted with the appropriate sympathy and support; seeing the massacre more as an attack on Australians by radical and fanatical religious terrorists."
ReplyDeleteYes, such attacks go far beyond the intended victims.
Indeed very far beyond, Kirk.
DeleteI would prefer to see a 0 gun allowance for most of the population with farmers and those with a licence to hunt being allowed one gun. People who regularly go out boating have flare guns in case they need rescuing.
ReplyDeleteI also think those who spout terrorist slogans and are associated with likewise groups should be deported to where they came from and not allowed back in to Australia.
I'm with you on guns, River. One racist South African was deported and an English Nazi has been detained to be deported too, so it is happening. Those born in Australia and are citizens are different and can't be deported.
DeleteAndrew, I might have bumped into you during your Balaclava years :) I did all my shopping there, plus frequented the coffee shops and restaurants.
ReplyDeleteQuite possibly Hels. When we first moved there, there were really only two places for coffee, one being the coffee roasters.
DeleteI don't know if the memorial was broadcast here in Tasmania, Andrew. It might be on YouTube?
ReplyDeleteNo guns, would be good only for the gun clubs and limited. Farmers need a few and that's it.
Merry Christmas.
I think the broadcast would be on ABC iView, Margaret. My father has guns on the farm, a rifle and a shotgun, and only used for putting down suffering animals.
DeleteThe World needs a department of peace.
ReplyDeleteThe United Nations? Not very effective, is it.
DeleteIt's just sick and sad the things people do in the name of their so-called faith.
ReplyDeleteBob, so called faith indeed.
DeleteI still don't understand this kind of deep racism and hatred of another group of people who have caused you no harm. I called out some racism on Instagram the other day and the response from someone was, they hoped I died, and that I was a stupid cunt. WTF.
ReplyDeletePixie, I don't understand it either. I am glad you called it out but online seems futile at times.
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ReplyDeleteAussiebel, definitely Muslim, and yes from India.
DeleteI like how you said it was an attack by radicals on Australians. Who knows or cares what nationality, country of origin, beliefs, religion someone else is or practises. People who focus in on one little thing about another human, so they can hate them, are just weird.
ReplyDeleteStrayer, and no religion has clean hands with hating and preaching.
DeleteA sad day for Jewish Australians and all Australians. I wish immigrants would leave their hatreds back in their own countries and not bring them with them.
ReplyDeleteAgree 💯
DeleteI appreciate hearing your take on it. Andrew
ReplyDelete