The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) sure did stir up a lot of complaints to The Echo, given their inflammatory and inaccurate statements in their page 5 advertisement last week.
There is no evidence that Hamas is responsible for all Gazan deaths, for example, and the rest of their claims around the Middle East peace process are contested – at best.
But that’s free speech.
It’s easy to say you support it, but harder as a publisher to actually follow through with it.
So who are the AJA (www.jewishassociation.org.au)?
Despite claiming they do not affiliate with any political party, their members are linked to far-right-wing think tank IPA, and the Liberal Party.
AJA tweet Jan 17
On January 17, the AJA tweeted their Echo ad with the statement: ‘Byron Bay is known as a hot spot for left-leaning activist types. The local paper, The Byron Shire Echo, is widely read and often contains anti-Israel content. AJA decided to take out a half page ad and share some facts. The ad was generously facilitated by Michael Burd. What do you think of the AJA ad?’
Well here’s what we think:
The AJA is an organisation that should not be taken seriously, because it only promotes one-sided warped and dangerous views.
It is simply untrue to imply that Israel is an innocent bystander/victim in the unfolding clusterfuck.
Their ad appeared designed to divide rather than inform.
Unlike most mainstream media, The Echo is independent and contains a range of views from its readers and contributors.
Saying The Echo ‘often contains anti-Israel content’ is like saying that those who criticise Israel are anti-Semite, or are ‘self-loathing Jews’.
As a society, aren’t we past such stupid school-yard bullying?
The AJA appears more aligned with war-mongering types, like Israeli PM, Bibi Netanyahu, than with those seeking genuine peace.
Netanyahu has forged a hard-right coalition to remain in power, yet faces much criticism from within Israel over his attempts to curb the powers of the judiciary, for example. Netanyahu also faces court on charges of corruption, and it appears he needs this war to stay in power. There is no two-state solution with Netanyahu.
As for Australian mainstream media (especially Newscorp), they appear ‘state captured’ – that is, they take paid junkets to Israel and subsequently write favourably about Israel’s policies.
By contrast, Israel’s own media is often critical of its government, and there appears more freedom to report without fear or favour in Israel than here in Australia.
ABC journalist, Antoinette Lattouf, was recently sacked after posting a Human Rights Watch video describing Israel’s starvation of Gaza civilians. It’s alleged that the national broadcaster took action after complaints from ‘Jewish lobbyists’.
The Echo is not aligned with either side of the Israel and Palestine conflict.
It’s all too easy to shoot the messenger.
Instead, genuine attempts at peace are required by ‘leaders’ if this intractable ongoing disaster has any hope of resolution.
The Australian Jewish Association (AJA), like any extreme organisation on both sides of this conflict, are not helping that cause.
Hans Lovejoy, editor
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
