These protesters do not represent my country

Henry Ergas writes of the cheering faces of the October 7 murderers, who filmed themselves while committing atrocities (“In the face of evil, build on our nation’s virtues”, 7/10). I also look at the faces of the so-called protesters marching in our streets. Some bearded, some masked and some apparently perfectly ordinary men and women – possibly housewives, teachers, students. I am both chilled to the bone and incandescent with rage.

I tell myself that these people cannot possibly represent my country, the country in which I live, which I farm and for which, as a soldier, I once fought.

But there they are, marching and mouthing foul, racist, anti-Semitic, violent nonsense or by their presence tacitly supporting those who do.

Are they, in fact, the true face of evil in our land? I want to reach for them and shake them and ask, do you realise what you are doing to my country and its social fabric?

I remember the faces of those tried at Nuremberg – camp guards and administrators who, in any other context, similarly might have been housewives, teachers, students.

When the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were attacked by Muslim terrorists, the good people of France rose up in support of those murdered and “Je suis Charlie” was everywhere.

Not here, not now, apparently, so I add my voice to that of Natalie Rutherford (Last Post, 7/10):

To Jewish Australians, I support you unconditionally. To the hate-filled protesters on the streets, I despise your ignorance and cruelty. We will not let this evil flourish. Enough.

Martin Armstrong, Armadale, Vic

Henry Ergas, in his inimitable way, paints a picture of the true horror of October 7. He writes: “They cheer when they capture the old and weak. They gloat when they seize young women. And most harrowing of all, they are laughing, laughing, laughing.”

But what does our government do? It advises restraint.

Ergas compares this with Winston Churchill’s brilliant description of Neville Chamberlain’s hapless cabinet remaining “trapped in paradox, decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all-powerful to be impotent”.

This brought me the troubling thought that I would like to question Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong as to their reaction should thugs break into their homes and, before them, violate their partners in the horrific manner that Ergas describes so vividly and then openly celebrate their cruelty.

Restraint does not come to mind.

Patrick Hobbs, Rose Bay, NSW

Henry Ergas, I so missed your column on Friday but revelled in the amazing, historic odyssey of the Sephardic Jews – your family among them – from Spain to Turkey and beyond in The Weekend Australian Magazine (“Exile: A Family’s 500-Year Flight to Safety”, 5-6/10). Then on Monday your heartfelt column and explicit denunciation of evil in the history of humanity.

In 1776, during the American Revolution, philosopher Thomas Paine wrote in the pamphlet series The American Crisis: “These are the times that try men’s souls.” And so it is now. But I am here to tell you, Henry, that being from the Australian generation born in 1940, we remember what our forebears gave to this country.

We are the inheritors of astonishing post-war and 21st-century growth and we glory in the narrative of our country and its achievements. To keep this safe and with the rising generations in mind we will go to the barricades to defend Australia and to repudiate evil.

Helen Derrick, Corinda, Qld

I read the contribution from Henry Ergas with great interest but yet an increasing depth of despair for the future of our once great country.

But that despair was lightened as Henry reminded us, in his final four paragraphs, about our recovery from a similar era of weak leadership before World War II. Alas, we may need another such tragedy to jolt us from our apathy.

Michael Saul, Scarborough, Qld

Thanks to Yoni Bashan for his article about the heroic and humane warrior poet Tal Grushka (“Warriors with a human touch”, 7/10).

In the ancient world, for a long time, Jews were thought of as warriors. Their second unsuccessful rebellion against Roman rule changed that. Huge numbers were massacred; most of those remaining fled to other countries, changed from an oral culture to a written one, and became “the people of the book”.

Now, in Israel, they can have both military prowess and literary skill. The former is greatly respected in the region; let’s hope that if and when the Israelis win this war, there will be peace for a long time.

Bob Cowley, Broadview, SA

Alex Ryvchin says: “The Jewish people are masters of facing trauma and emerging on the other side of it” (“After a year of mourning, it is time to stand up”, 7/10).

It has been said that whatever is done to the Jews is done for the Jews. In other words, when they emerge from this current crisis, they will be stronger than ever.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali-born, Dutch-American activist and former politician, said recently: “I think we find ourselves today in a moment where we have to make a moral choice. I sit here today and say I support Israel. No ifs. No buts.”

There is only one side to take. No ifs. No buts.

As we know, the easiest position to take in any conflict is to “both sides” the problem – the moral equivalence game.

Our Prime Minister plays this game. In doing so, he shames us all.

Bob Day, former senator for South Australia

Andrew Hede (Letters, 7/10) asks if Israel would attack terrorists if they were using Israeli civilians as human shields. He poses it as a hypothetical, but of course this is the situation that has faced Israel since October 7.

On that day Hamas abducted hundreds of Israeli civilians for exactly that purpose. History records that Israel attacked the terrorists despite Hamas’s despicable tactics.

Hede implies that Israel conducted repeated airstrikes on “hospitals, schools and refugee camps”. The implication is false. Israel attacked legitimate military targets in accordance with the laws of war. As has been well documented, Hamas situated hospitals, schools and refugee camps near to its military assets. As your editorial pointed out, Hamas bears the moral responsibility for the civilian deaths that resulted from these unconscionable attempts to shield itself from Israeli attack.

Richard Harrison, Mount Eliza, Vic

I have been amazed at how readily the communist strategy of stating the opposite of reality often enough makes it somehow believable. Vladimir Putin invades Ukraine because it is “full of Nazis” constituting an existential threat to Russia – patently false yet swallowed by the gullible.

Now we are being told Israelis are “colonial invaders”, yet they have been in what we call Palestine nearly 4000 years and Islam has existed only 1400 years.

Israel is “genocidal” yet it did not initiate the brutality of October 7 or launch Hezbollah or Iranian rockets of recent days.

Israel is an “apartheid regime” yet there are lots more Arabs in Israel than Jews in Middle Eastern countries.

Those protesting in our streets are out of touch with reality – that’s the essence of foolishness.

The answer to indoctrination is education yet our tertiary institutions seem to have given up the latter for the former.

Where is hope to be found? I am old enough to remember my primary school days in Sydney pledging allegiance at the start of every day, “I honour my God, I serve my Queen, I salute the flag”. A very good place to start.

David Cook, Drummoyne, NSW

The Australian is to be applauded for the consistent clarity in its journalism out of the Middle East.

Israel’s solitary role in defending democratic and free-world values is laid bare for all to see.

Free-world leaders might serve their democracies and culture much better by following suit.

Norris Lewis, Toowong, Qld

At age 84 I read my copy of The Australian on Monday morning and, faced with the front page, I found that everything I believe in and love about my country seems to have been lost.

My forebears only two generations ago were Jewish. My paternal grandfather married a Gentile but my faith remains reignited.

How did so many caring Aus­sies allow this terrible tragic and pathetic anti-Australian mob to gain recognition? Greg Sheridan’s comments about Albo’s soft pillow rings sadly too true (“Shamed ALP grudgingly backs Jerusalem’s right to respond”, 7/10). Anthony Albanese’s cabinet has not one standout statesman among the motley line-up. I pray that we find leadership and a way forward – this was what Aussies fought for, worked for and loved for.

John Meyers, North Turramurra, NSW

The front page of The Australian on Monday says it all. That picture could have been taken on the main street of Tehran and clearly identifies those responsible for the appalling anti-Semitism poisoning our once peaceful country.

Peter Jacobsen, New Farm, Qld