Police inaction stands out during the wave of anti-Semitic incidents

Thank you for your well-penned editorial calling out the failure of law enforcement to the disgraceful anti-Semitic conduct on the steps of the Sydney Opera House on October 9, 2023 (“Keystone cops need to get real”, 14/3).

That a baying mob chanting “Gas the Jews” did so with impunity still has most of us shaking our heads in disbelief.

Adding insult to injury, we were subsequently told the mob was actually asking “Where’s the Jews”, as if that made the chant more acceptable. Now we are supposed to believe the “terror caravan plot” is a “con job” that had nothing to do with anti-Semitism, yet the would-be target was a synagogue and the supposed “mastermind” behind it, Sayit Erhan Akca, has a history of posting vile anti-Semitic slurs.

We know that Labor has chosen to compromise Australia’s support for Israel to boost the Muslim vote in crucial seats – a kind of transactional politics that is beneath contempt. But for the police to seemingly play along, to get along, is equally contemptible.

Mandy Macmillan, Singleton, NSW

Silence on Hamas

Hairdressers have a good understanding of what’s on the minds of their customers and have a stronger feeling for the pulse of the nation than many others.

The other day my hairdresser told me she was disappointed in seeing the confected anger and pile-on by the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and the Immigration Minister against a US tourist who had picked up a baby wombat. She said our leaders were ramping up more outrage about the wombat than they were about the barbaric murder in captivity of the Bibas family by Hamas in Gaza.

While world leaders condemned their deaths and the cruel way in which the remains were returned to Israel, there was no official statement from our government.

When prompted, Anthony Albanese said he hadn’t seen the footage of the handover of the two children. Penny Wong didn’t comment on the way the young children were murdered.

It could be just that there’s an election around the corner and local politics takes precedence. But one would expect more from our leaders in speaking out against the atrocities committed by Hamas.

Anthony Bergin, Reid, ACT

Sporting masterpiece

We pore over every sports report by Will Swanton and he captivates us each time. No more so than the report disclosing the summary of Max Verstappen’s approach to his Formula One rivals (“He’s the maddest Max in anyone’s language”, 13/3).

Thank you for your brilliant piece, Will, it will enhance our viewing of the race.

Rhoda Silber, Manly, NSW

Alternative to AUKUS

Japan, France and Britain have state-of-the-art submarines that they would possibly sell to us, off the shelf, if we cancel the American AUKUS agreement. The special trust and friendship we had with the US has been shattered by President Donald Trump. Anything can happen now with the supply of US submarines.

John Langrehr, Leabrook, SA

Deal to top all deals

While eating my Weeties and sipping my coffee one day last week, it struck me that we should beat Canada to the punch. Anthony Albanese should offer Australia to Donald Trump as his 51st state.

Of course, we would have to have a royal commission to assess its possibility. We are by practice really good at holding inquiries at every level.

The idea could be sweetened by some of the following thought bubbles. If our dollar were valued at parity with the US dollar, then all Australians would automatically be far better off. We wouldn’t have to worry about AUKUS or ANZUS and we wouldn’t have to pay for them.

The US government would take over our national debt and hopefully our state government debts, and we would be exempt from their tariffs. There are many more benefits, like knowing how to define a woman and telling the UN where to get off, but time is of the essence. This nirvana can be achieved at the small sacrifice of national pride and, from what I read every day, I know that we Australians are capable of this. It’s just an early morning pre-dawn thought.

Gordon Starke, Subiaco, WA

Not made in Australia

Mr Prime Minister, what will we buy that is locally made? Cars, televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, trucks, light bulbs, fans, carpet, furniture?

We don’t make anything in Australia because it’s too expensive with our high labour costs, over-regulated economy and our high taxes. We import everything we need, even some foods. Everything made here is too expensive. Forget it and your no Future Made in Australia. It hasn’t happened and it never will.

Alexander Haege, Tamarama, NSW