Anti-Jewish rallies abhorrent in face of Hamas terror

Hamas’s failure to release all women hostages as agreed, and its rocket-launching violation of the operational pause, should not come as a surprise.

After all, this is a regime that glorifies the deaths of its fighters, civilian supporters and Palestinian innocents as righteous martyrdom in the cause of Israel’s destruction. It also uses hospitals and schools as its operational bases, and its own civilians as human shields. For Hamas, the end justifies the means, and its ultimate end is the elimination of Israel. Shockingly, there are those in Australia whose loathing for Israel and its people echoes that of Hamas, such as the Melbourne Crowne Plaza activists, the hostile mob that swarmed the Sydney Opera House shouting “Gas the Jews” and the aggressive Caulfield demonstrations. All reveal a malignant bigotry metastasising among us. And it is not the bigotry of Islamophobia. It is anti-Semitism. It’s time to stop tolerating the intolerable. And to re-evaluate those fine-sounding words: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

Deborah Morrison, Malvern, Vic

Speaking truth to power and writing with her usual moral clarity, Gemma Tognini reminds us that the photo and video of the young Israeli peace activist, Naama Levy, are unforgettable (“Violence is violence … but not for Jewish women”, 2-3/12).

Tognini is spot-on to shine a light on Levy’s haunting plight, as well as the many feminist organisations, whose silence about the violent sexual abuse of Jewish (and Gazan) women has been deafening.

Mandy Macmillan, Singleton, NSW

Thank you, Gemma Tognini, for your opinion piece in The Weekend Australian. The world and women have been silent on the degrading, brutalising, raping and murdering of Jewish women.

This silence is unforgivable, when images, footage and stories have emerged and been published across the media. Where is the conscience to protect all women? Where is sense of morality for young Jewish women? The images are clear, the evidence screams for justice.

It’s difficult to comprehend that this occurred in Israel, a democracy. We can’t afford to stray from this hard truth, and yes, it is haunting.

We need to dare to be brave and stand for all women, including Jewish women. Hamas needs to be held accountable for its violent actions.

Sandra Solomons, Sydney, NSW

We have women’s organisations howling for the reduction of inequities of all types against them, simply because of their sex.

Where are their protestations against the atrocities perpetrated against Israeli women. Thank you, Gemma Tognini, for prosecuting the case on behalf of women everywhere. A picture says a thousand words. The vision of an innocent 19-year-old victim, who has obviously been raped and left torn and bloodied, is now a candidate for more horrific assault in captivity.

True evil has been openly perpetrated and not a word of objection from many of the recognised women’s organisations as a protest against it. Who on God’s Earth can look at these barbaric scenes with dry eyes? It is heartbreaking and soul-destroying.

Aviva Rothschild, Caulfield North, Vic

Gemma Tognini laments the shameful fact that UN Women, a body that’s supposed to be “the global champion to create an environment in which every woman and girl can live up to her full potential”, had completely ignored the plight of Israeli and Jewish women in the context of the sexual violence we saw during Hamas’s terror attacks.

Tognini should be forgiven for not knowing that it was only on Friday (presumably after deadline) that UN Women finally issued a statement condemning Hamas, 57 days after the October 7 massacres in southern Israel. The UN Women statement led with “regret” that fighting had resumed between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and went on to say that it was “alarmed by the numerous accounts of gender-based atrocities and sexual violence” during the Hamas attacks.

It’s scandalous that the UN agency responsible for gender equality and the empowerment of women has taken eight weeks to finally speak up about the Jewish women raped and murdered by Hamas.

Anthony Bergin, Strategic Analysis Australia, ACT