Credit: Alan Moir
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I attended a talk this week in St Kilda by peace activists Gershon Baskin, an Israeli Jew, and Samer Sinijlawi, a Palestinian living in East Jerusalem. Both argued it was essential for peace that there was an end to “competition of belonging”, replaced by mutual recognition that both peoples had a past tied to the same land. They outlined how most Palestinians and Israeli Jews long for peace, but for 25 years, extremists on each side had given the other the message that they did not want to live in peace. I was reminded of the words of the Holocaust survivor Edith Eger, “I also want to say that there is no hierarchy of suffering. There’s nothing that makes my pain worse or better than yours, no graph on which we can plot the relative importance of one sorrow versus another.” Samer and Gershon ended by encouraging Australians to urge our government to recognise a Palestinian state as the next step towards peace.
Mark Zirnsak, Senior Social Justice Advocate, Uniting Church in Australia,
Synod of Victoria and Tasmania
We must search our consciences
Nicola Redhouse’s search for moral clarity and determination is something that we all must emulate (″When Israel acts shamefully, we Jews must be willing to be ashamed of it″, 30/5). Day by day the casualties mount in Gaza and the Israeli justification of self-defence and elimination of Hamas becomes ever less believable. This is a war of extermination and we must all search our consciences for the strength to speak out against it.
Lorel Thomas, Blackburn South
Going forward side by side
Feeling paralysingly helpless by the sufferings across Gaza and in other world places, on reading Nicola Redhouse’s opinion piece there came a moment of intellectual, moral and spiritual clarity. With a clarion call to her tradition, ″Love that cannot feel shame is not love – it is vanity. Nationalism that cannot feel shame is not love of country; it is mere jingoism″, I found the boundaries shift. She states Judaism ″has never required uniformity of judgment, but it has required a reverence of truth″. With eyes to see, and hearts to feel the reverence of truth of overwhelming evils and suffering, we can still feel love of identity and nation, while we hold our heads in shame, as we rise to work side by side for the shalom, the salem, the intrinsic wellbeing for all precious life and land.
Reverend Sally Apokis, South Melbourne
Hamas is the intractable obstacle
Rabbi Daniel Rabin (“Israel is painted as the villain”, 30/5) is correct about the terrorist instigator, Hamas. Unfortunately Hamas is being written out of the narrative and all blame is falling on Israel. Hamas says it wants a Palestinian state. Very commendable but it also wants the elimination of Israel. Until recently Israel championed and worked for a two-state solution, but its right-wing government no longer supports this ideal. How can one support a solution in which the other side denies your right to exist?
Les Aisen, Elsternwick
THE FORUM
Senseless omission
A dearth of safe refuge for women and children escaping family violence is the single greatest factor for why women stay in abusive relationships (“New high-security shelters for women in crisis to sit empty during family violence epidemic”, 29/5). That the May state budget omitted $3.9million in operational funding for high-security units designed to shelter women at high risk of death by family violence (or the $9.6million in ongoing funding requested by Safe Steps), is senseless.
Dr Anne Summers in 2022 stated that for many women experiencing family violence (who are simultaneously trying to protect their children), ″the choice: violence or poverty″, is the stark reality, including homelessness (ie couch surfing, sleeping in their car).
The state government allocating $727 million for 1000 new prison beds and 88 youth justice beds – “when money spent on services for child family violence victims” could break the cycle of children exposed to family violence “using violence in their relationships later in life”, is a false economy and short-term thinking.
Whereas breaking the complex intergenerational cycle of family violence requires long-term strategic thinking, planning, evaluation and government investment.
Jelena Rosic, Mornington
Pity the victims
I wonder how women and children extremely brave enough to escape family violence feel about 28 crisis accommodations remaining empty. Does this encourage them to move for their safety? If the federal government is funding 28 crisis shelter units to be built, surely the Allan government has no justification in withholding operational funding to enable effective and transformative support to people in dire need. They are Victorian victims aren’t they?
Christine Baker, Rosanna
Where’s Gough?
The Albanese government’s decision to allow Woodside to keep producing gas for another 45 years is a disaster, as many letters correspondents have pointed out. To this we can add the warning, given just a few days ago, by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, of the increased dangers to the Great Barrier Reef because of water pollution from excessive land use and clearing, and over-fishing.
Both situations require a government that does not pander to the demands of its factions, but which puts the long-term interests of the country first and foremost.
If the Labor government does not reverse its decision on Woodside, or at least place major limitations on its continuation of gas extraction, and does not do more to protect the reef in the long-term, then it confirms what it really is: a centre-right government representing corporate interests. If only it had the vision of a Whitlam government.
Greg Bailey, St Andrews
Target goes missing
How will the Albanese government reach net zero by 2050 if Woodside extracts gas until 2070? Or doesn’t net zero include fossil fuels exported? Or has Labor, too, abandoned the target?
Penelope Buckley, Kew East
Labor’s big con
The government knows what needs to be done to avoid the worst impacts of climate change: decarbonise, reduce emissions, and phase out the fossil fuel industry without delay. But instead of phasing out, it continues to subsidise and approve its expansion and extension.
Murray Watt’s decision to approve the extension to 2070 of Woodside’s North West Shelf gas project is consistent with Labor’s big con on climate action. The government’s Future Gas Strategy envisages that gas will remain an important source of energy beyond 2050. Its signature climate policy, the inappropriately named Safeguard Mechanism, safeguards the fossil fuel industry rather than the environment, allowing companies like Woodside to buy junk carbon credits instead of actually reducing their emissions.
So much for integrity and the government’s promise of “real action” on climate. The gas project will not only damage the climate, but also further damage the priceless Murujuga rock art, of deep significance to the traditional owners, to Australia and to the world.
Angela Smith, Clifton Hill
People, shop around
Your correspondent is spot on, every consumer of gas and electricity should shop around for a better price (Letters, 30/5). And that applies to insurance as well. It staggers me just how many people just stick with the same company because “it’s too hard” to change, or that loyalty gets them a lower premium. It’s not and it doesn’t.
Greg Hardy, Upper Ferntree Gully
Regulatory failures
There are plenty of straw men to blame for the housing affordability crisis while the main culprits seem to be consistently overlooked: the banks and their lending policies. Back in the day the only way to get a loan was to prove you had so much money that you didn’t need the loan. Nowadays banks will shower just about anyone, abetted by the mortgage brokers, with more money than they can feasibly repay in a lifetime. It’s the relaxing of banks’ prudential and capital regulations that has brought about the high prices of housing in Australia and the big four, having caused the crisis – and generated embarrassingly large profits along the way – get off scot-free. As usual, no one seems to care.
Angus McLeod, Cremorne
Abbott should fade away
The report that Tony Abbott is making public demands on new Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is beyond disappointing (30/5). The one positive thing that can be said about the conservative Abbott is that, unlike many politicians, everyone knows what he really thinks and believes. Unfortunately for him, he can’t sell these views to an overwhelming majority of Australians.
It is 10 years since Abbott was a short-term prime minister and more than six years since he lost his seat at the 2019 election. Abbott seems unable to accept that he is no longer in the public eye.
If he wants to be a person of political influence he should try and regain a seat in parliament.
Alternatively he should accept that yesterday’s rooster is now a feather duster and quietly fade into the background.
James Young, Mount Eliza
Ocean beauty at risk
I urge people to see the film Ocean, narrated by Sir David Attenborough. Not only is the photography stunning, the music stirring, but the mellifluous tones of Attenborough guide us through the tragedy of what is happening to the ocean floors.
They are being bottom-dredged and everything in their way is scooped up and dumped on the deck of trawlers. Most of the catch is commercially useless and discarded. Then there are the huge circular nets which, once again pull everything up.
To see a turtle rolling over and over and becoming more and more enmeshed in netting is heartbreaking. Ditto sharks and other large sea creatures. The world’s oceans are overfished and birds are struggling to find enough fish; they are not breeding.
However, Attenborough shares a glimmer of hope, and depicts protected marine sanctuaries where the ocean floor and the marine life is recovering. There is a United Nations ocean conference in early June in France. I do hope the film is shown 24 hours a day there.
Margaret Collings, Anglesea
ADHD challenges
As a teenager with ADHD, it was a great joy to see Gary Newman’s article (Comment, 29/5). I had a laugh reading about his high school antics and reminiscing on my own ADHD-fuelled antics. I can also relate to the issue of hyperfixation and distraction.
As someone who is medicated, I can say that it helps, but does not fix everything and produces its own challenges that must be overcome.
I wish Gary Newman the best of luck as he begins to use medication and I congratulate him for finding self-forgiveness, which is something we all need.
Rivkah Halik, Box Hill
No more to add
Sincere condolences to the English language on the death of the adverb. We are no longer required to drive slowly, but we need to drive slow; we are no longer required to swim safely between the flags, but to swim safe. Unfortunately, it is not just our football commentators who have contributed to this sad loss; newsreaders and politicians are among the perpetrators. RIP that part of our language.
Keith Hoffman, Ormond
Credit: Matt Golding
AND ANOTHER THING
Politics
The cynic in me is asking, why do we bother to sort through climate and environmental debates and policies before we vote every three years, only to have the elected government ignore us and the fossil-fuel lobbyists dictate policy regardless?
John Annison, Lilydale
In one of its first decisions since victory, claiming to be strong on climate action, the government has granted provisional approval of Woodside’s North West Shelf gas terminal. I feel betrayed, deceived and lied to.
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris
Tony Abbott says the Liberal Party needs to lift its game. Has he no shame?
Len Monk, Belmont
The Middle East
It’s possible to choose to not kill civilians in Gaza. Equally, to ensure children of Gaza are fed is a choice. All it will take is the will of political leaders of Israel and its allies.
Matthew Hamilton, Kew
West Bank the forgotten invasion.
Dan Drummond, Leongatha
Furthermore
A visit to the MCG is not enjoyable, whether for cricket or football. The music is excessively loud and overbearing.
Meredith James, Glen Huntly
Another advantage of EVs is that they make us less reliant on importing fuel. We spend $50billion a year on fuel imports and only have a few weeks’ worth of reserve.
Steve Walsh, Warragul
I have done some research and it’s clear God didn’t give a Middle East country or land to anyone, he’s not in that business.
Ian Macdonald, Traralgon
I would have thought that even a shadow minister for foreign affairs would need to exhibit diplomacy, restraint and composure, yet Sussan Ley appointed Michaela Cash.
Colleen Heatley, Drouin West
Around the US card table, it’s good to know that even the president can be over-trumped.
Jenifer Nicholls, Windsor