Labor leaders allowed anti-Semitism to ignite into national inferno

Never in my life have I witnessed in Australia the level of hatred and bile against people of the Jewish faith as now (“Stand with us to fight scourge of hate: Jewish leaders”, 5/12).

The sudden spread of anti-Semitism since October 2023 was partly fuelled by the lack of action by the federal Labor government.

If similar vandalism and burning down of religious buildings had been directed at another religion, I believe strong action would have been taken by the police and all levels of government. It is not too late to stop the spread of anti-Semitism in Australia. But strong action is needed.

Peter J. Burke, Mosman, NSW

Is it any wonder that anti-Semitism has exploded in the past two years? I sheet it down mainly to the government allowing pro-Palestinian protests to continue day after day and week after week. It has raised anti-Semitism to a fever pitch.

The police failed to stop the pro-Palestinian, anti-Israeli protest at the Sydney Opera House in October 2023. From then on, the bias against the Jewish community has been aided and abetted by the government’s stance of allowing pro-Palestinian marches to continue.

John Partridge, Mosman, NSW

It seems Tony Burke and the Albanese government would rather assist ISIS brides and their offspring to come back to Australia in time for Christmas rather than support the Jewish family whose delicatessen is on the brink of insolvency because it was firebombed by Iranian terrorists (“Firebombed deli’s pleas for financial aid ignored”, 5/12).

Lizzie Haydon, Runcorn, Qld

‘Don’t blame Whitlam’

Once again Jose Ramos-Horta unfairly blames my father for the deaths of the Australian journalists at Balibo in 1975 (“Timor invasion avoidable: Ramos-Horta on Australia’s failure”, 5/12).

The facts are these:

• On September 18, 1975 and again on September 28, Gough Whitlam met with the leader of the group, Greg Shackleton, when he was interviewing my father. On both occasions he warned Shackleton that going to East Timor was dangerous and that the Australian government could not help him if he got into trouble there. It was clear to my father that Shackleton was determined to go anyway.

• Ramos-Horta drove the journalists to the town of Balibo in October 1975.

• Ramos-Horta and his Fretilin colleagues withdrew from Balibo “just hours” before the journalists were captured by Indonesian troops on October 16, 1975.

Quite how anyone can blame my father for the journalists’ deaths is beyond me. The journalists were foolhardy and, very sadly, paid for this with their lives.

Nicholas Whitlam, Woollahra, NSW

RBA hostage to politics

The Reserve Bank’s contemplation of further rate hikes is less a failure of monetary policy and more a reflection of the government’s fiscal overreach.

It is unfair to expect the RBA to be the sole inflation fighter when Canberra continues its substantial and inflationary spending programs.

The bank is forced to apply a blunt instrument – higher interest rates – to cool the demand the government itself is still stoking with massive public outlays and poor productivity performance.

Until the Albanese government delivers genuinely tighter fiscal control and cuts the excessive red tape hampering small business and housing supply, the RBA will remain hostage to political spending decisions, and Australian households will continue to pay the price.

David Wolpert, Randwick, NSW

Root lights Ashes fire

Time will tell if the Australian cricket selectors got their selection for the second Test at the Gabba correct.

Leaving Nathan Lyon out of the team has been indefensible, particularly when one considers that the Australian pace attack is not its best. I believe that the selectors have erred and after day one I do not think many would disagree.

I also believe that this selection was full of hubris and disrespectful of the English team. It was as if the selectors believed Zak Crawley and Joe Root were going to fail yet again.

However, both proved that when the backs are to the wall, the good old English fighting spirit is still alive and well. It is nice to see that hopefully the Tests from here on will be a grand battle between old foes.

Peter D. Surkitt, Sandringham, Vic

Normal order has been restored. Joe Root’s back-to-the-wall 40th Test century, following his double failure in Perth, confirms his standing as the world’s best batsman, and arguably England’s greatest ever.

Lovers of cricket – even hard-headed Aussies – can only admire his skill and his humility.

Kim Keogh, Claremont, WA