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<\/p>\n <\/span>Credit: <\/span>Illustration: Matt Golding<\/cite><\/p>\n To submit a letter to The Age<\/em>, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Israel-Hamas war has put our multicultural society to the test and I am afraid it is failing. Our culture is supposed to be based on the underlying assumption that very different cultures can coexist peacefully, with trust, respect and equality. Antisemitism in Australia has risen dramatically resulting from this war and threatens our society in the worst possible way. Criticism of Israel is valid<\/strong> Fear and division<\/strong> First end the war<\/strong> Teacher pressure<\/strong> Why do hospitals need bomb shelters?<\/strong> Wrong motion<\/strong> Never again<\/strong> A failed department<\/strong> Adequate compensation<\/strong> How about fewer MPs?<\/strong> Tighten oversight<\/strong> Can I spend?<\/strong> Bouncing back<\/strong> Lawyers not to blame<\/strong> Much to gain<\/strong> A wave of insecurity<\/strong> The war on plants<\/strong> Prove their trade<\/strong> <\/p>\n <\/span>Credit: <\/span>Illustration: Matt Golding<\/cite><\/p>\n Language<\/strong> To your correspondent (Letters, 28\/11), thank you for your explanation on a frequently misused idiom. If I read one more misuse of \u201cbegs the question\u201d my head will literally explode. While agreeing for the most part with your correspondent regarding apostrophes, there are many pitfalls when dealing with plural nouns. For example, \u201cchildren\u2019s\u201d and \u201cwomen\u2019s\u201d where the apostrophe comes before the \u201cs\u201d. Also, \u201csheep\u2019s ears\u201d refers to one sheep, whereas \u201csheeps\u2019 ears\u201d indicates more than one sheep, but there\u2019s no such word as \u201csheeps\u201d without an apostrophe. Faith<\/strong> Christians, Muslims and Jews all believe in the same invisible, unseen, and unheard, god yet they all appear to dislike each other.MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT<\/h3>\n
Israel did not start this war. Calling for peace and ending the war is fine but first requires Hamas to admit it wants peace. Israel has the right to exist. Moving the blame to Israel for the deaths of Palestinian civilians serves no purpose when all wars follow the same course, including those that Australia has been involved with. Our country has been relatively lucky when it comes to terrorism, and it is important who we choose to support.
Morris Trytell, Glen Iris<\/strong><\/p>\n
There\u2019s a rise in antisemitism and a concerted effort to mitigate it, e.g. the open letter by 600 prominent Australians, as a consequence of Hamas\u2019 barbaric incursion on October 7 (\u201cKey figures warn on antisemitism\u201d, 28\/11). Unfortunately, it is important to define it, because to some commentators, it has very broad scope. It would not be antisemitic to state that since the Israeli response to Hamas\u2019 murderous attack, 75 Israeli soldiers have been killed in action in Gaza, and about 150 aid workers and thousands of civilians. Nor would it be to add that humanitarian law specifies an obligation not to transfer military risk onto civilians. We should be able to call for an immediate permanent ceasefire, with a precondition to establish a war crimes tribunal.
Carlo Ursida, Kensington<\/strong><\/p>\n
The rise of antisemitism in the Western world is alarming. I believe the majority of people would find it repugnant but a minority are using their platform to spread fear and division. The worst offender in Australia is the Greens, whose parliamentary team uses selective moral outrage against Israel while barely mentioning the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas. Now teachers are being encouraged to display their pro-Palestinian bias in a way that will surely only lead to more antisemitic abuse. The Australian government needs to stand firmly with Israel and reassure our Jewish brethren that antisemitism will not be allowed to gain a foothold in Australia.
Peter Curtis, Werribee South<\/strong><\/p>\n
Signatories to the antisemitism ad in The Age would achieve their aim better by attempting to persuade Israel to change the behaviour towards Palestinians that over 75 years had built up these antagonisms, and to support the many Jewish people around the world also opposed to Israeli policies. There can be no resolution without serious change from Israel.
Owen Rye, Boolarra South<\/strong><\/p>\n
I recall being forced to stand on a desk in a London grammar school when a teacher, having learnt of my background, tried to get me to sing the Irish national anthem. He thought it was amusing. I didn\u2019t. My thoughts and prayers are with Jewish children in government schools where I suspect some teachers (\u201cPro-Palestine action by teachers slammed\u201d, 28\/11) encouraged students to attend pro-Palestine rallies.
Michael Doyle, Ashburton<\/strong><\/p>\n
Peter Hartcher asks why Hamas built \u201ctunnels for itself instead of bomb shelters for the Palestinian people?\u201d (\u201cWhat will happen next in Gaza?\u201d 28\/11), but a better question is why do the 2 million people of Gaza need bomb shelters in the first place? No matter that Hamas is an antisemitic religious movement that will not recognise the \u201clegitimacy of the Zionist entity\u201d or that it pillages aid. Nothing it has done justifies the collective punishment and war crimes by the Israeli Defence Forces against non-combatant civilians in Gaza. Two wrongs do not make a right.
Peter Martina, Warrnambool<\/strong><\/p>\nTHE FORUM<\/h3>\n
Members of the Victorian Jewish community would have been comforted by expressions of support in recent days by former Labor leader, Daniel Andrews (\u201cAndrews\u2019 \u2018powerful speech\u2019,\u201d 27\/11), and his successor, Jacinta Allan (\u201cCharm offensive\u201d, 25\/11). However, they would be far less impressed by the motion passed by members of the Glen Waverley branch of the Labor Party on November 13. Titled \u201cSolidarity with the Palestinian People\u201d, it opened by condemning \u201cattacks on innocent civilians by both Hamas terrorists and the Israeli government\u201d thereby implying a moral equivalency between brutally murdering over 1000 people and a just war against an evil existential threat.
The motion went on to call \u201con the prime minister and the member for Chisholm to publicly condemn the Israeli government for its indiscriminate bombing, attacks on hospitals, and killing of children\u201d.
There were attempts to amend it. Sadly, the motion passed unchanged. I left the meeting disappointed and so dismayed that I have resigned my membership. I came to the conclusion that I could no longer attend meetings of the branch after those who voted for the motion had displayed such a lack of empathy for Jewish members of the party.
Ivan Glynn, Vermont<\/strong><\/p>\n
The only way to solve the problems of the Department of Home Affairs (\u201cMate\u2019s deal sank Pezzullo\u201d, 28\/11) is to completely dismantle it and start again with specific activities and of a size that is controllable. We must not ever again allow a department (or the head of it) to have such overreaching control over disparate activities of the federal bureaucracy.
Peter Christie, Rye<\/strong><\/p>\n
Nick McKenzie says that the Home Affairs Department that Mike Pezzullo built never worked as intended (\u201cA fiefdom that failed its duty\u201d, 28\/11). Instead it enabled criminals to come into the country, the sex trafficking of women, corruption in the international education sector, and corruption in the deregulation of the migration agents industry. Perhaps the ALP could take this very seriously, and stop being rattled by the release of 138 refugees from unlawful detention.
Di Cousens, Upwey<\/strong><\/p>\n
Another high-profile, highly paid executive, Mike Pezzullo, has been found to have acted badly, mocking the idea of altruistic service to the Australian people in line with Australian public service philosophy.
An infuriating thing about this pattern is that they walk away with bulging pockets while a huge number of Australians are finding it hard to make ends meet. Their financial gains could be viewed as being ill-gotten and perhaps we should treat them as such by seeking fair compensatory repayment.
Michael Eland, North Melbourne<\/strong><\/p>\n
Re: MPs back calls for more seats in the House, I\u2019ve got a better idea. Instead of expanding the number of seats to 200 to deliver \u201cone vote, one value\u201d, let\u2019s reduce them to 100. We can still ensure the delivery of the same proportional representation on a per capita basis but this would reduce the cost of operating our electoral system rather than increase it.
Roger Farrer, Hampton<\/strong><\/p>\n
While the thought of more politicians may cause angst in some minds, the population of Australia has increased from 15 to 25 million since the Hawke government expanded the size of the House of Representatives in 1984. On that basis, an increase from 151 to 200 members of the House seems reasonable.
What is more urgent and essential is immediate legislation to implement the political donations recommendations \u2013 reducing the cap to $1000 and enforcing, vigorously, the requirement to show donations on the public record in real time \u2013 ie, immediately. Few elements of government activity in the last half-century have been as murky as the area of political donations.
Brian Kidd, Mount Waverley<\/strong><\/p>\n
Recent commentary regarding spending and inflation has left me a little perplexed. As a Boomer with disposable income and a strong desire to see Australia live up to our self-appointed \u201cegalitarian\u201d status, I am at a loss as to how, or whether to spend my discretionary funds. I see the need to support small businesses but in paying for services apparently feed inflation and in buying goods inevitably damage our precious environment as well. The truly egalitarian solution for taming inflation seems to be raising and broadening taxes for the well-off, rather than interest rates for mortgage holders, but that is a bridge too far for those who are on and continue to control the gravy train.
Michael Langford, Ivanhoe<\/strong><\/p>\n
In response to \u201cBoomers need to share the pain and stop spending\u201d (Comment, 27\/11), I would like to remind Rachel Clun that self-funded Boomers are still recovering from saving interest rates of 0.01 per cent. Dividends axed or shrunk. Superannuation pensions pegged due to the negative CPI. Many self-funded Boomers saw their incomes disintegrate. Now that the economic cycle has turned they are entitled to catch up on what they went without.
Elaine Carroll, Camberwell<\/strong><\/p>\n
Lawyers in Victoria read with disbelief John Silvester\u2019s article \u201cThe single greatest failing in Victoria\u2019s justice system\u201d (24\/11). Apparently Silvester thinks that if it was not for the rules of evidence and the rule of law police would be quick to prosecute and the courts swift to convict.
Everyone in this state has the right to a fair trial. That includes equality before the law, the right to a fair hearing, the presumption of innocence, the right to counsel, and police must provide the evidence so that people can defend themselves. That takes time and resources.
Every day more than 20,000 lawyers in Victoria do exactly what Silvester enjoins them to do \u2013 stand up \u201cwith courage and not being swept away with the tide of public opinion\u201d. The legal profession contributed the equivalent of $19 million of pro bono assistance last year. Lawyers help people in some of the most difficult situations in their lives.
The causes of delays in our justice system are complex. But claiming that lawyers are responsible is like blaming doctors for the shortage of beds in hospitals, or teachers for overcrowded classrooms. Adam Awty, CEO, Law Institute of Victoria<\/strong><\/p>\n
Almost three decades have passed since 1996, when councils first set out a proposal and project plan for the Box Hill to Hawthorn rail trail. Imagine the opportunity in those decades to have brought about all those things local and state governments say they want: active transport, less pollution, less traffic, more safety, cheaper transport and recreational opportunity. So let\u2019s get out the money bag and make the trail (\u201c\u2018Ghost platform\u2019 hope for bicycle highway\u201d, 28\/11), so that the next 30 years can bring those benefits.
Elaine Hopper, Blackburn<\/strong><\/p>\n
Inspired by Jo Pybus (\u201c\u2018Your call is important to us\u2019 and other lies you\u2019ll hear if you ever get through\u201d Comment, 27\/11), I write with increasing concern over the anxiety plague that has erupted among retailers and service providers. My socials are filling with bowed head supplications for feedback from practically all \u201cretail experiences\u201d I have embarked upon, hands cupped, begging for a crumb of affection. I would like to reassure them that the transaction worked, arrived, was satisfactorily repaired, timely, appropriate to my needs and expectations, and met my price point. If any of these criteria were not satisfied, you would hear from me. Until then, just do your job. It\u2019s fine.
John Dickson, Glen Waverley<\/strong><\/p>\n
I read with great interest about the push to save Balwyn\u2019s post-war homes, (The Age<\/em>, 25\/11). My late wife, who was a horticulturist, and I have lived in Balwyn North for nearly 35 years. Our house was built in the early \u201950s. Although not of heritage standard we have rendered and painted the cream bricks, replaced all the louvre-topped windows and built a double garage at the front and a large family room and new kitchen and bathroom at the rear. We are fortunate to have a very large and beautiful private garden at the rear with some eucalyptus trees protected by heritage listing. Imagine my dismay when the new neighbour before he even moved in, cut down all the trees on the boundary and the hedge which afforded us both great privacy. It was his right to do this, of course, but now I can see his house and three \u201cMcMansions\u201d like what resident Ian Hundley refers to. Apart from losing all privacy that he had, what has been gained apart from a metre strip of land? Are people so afraid of plants that they must remove all vegetation with no thought for the urban environment or their neighbours?
Name supplied<\/strong><\/p>\n
Your correspondent\u2019s suggestion (\u201cVehicle ignorance\u201d, Letters, 28\/11) that there should be special endorsement for driving oversized vehicles is a positive step in containing these anti-human beasts. I also suggest that coloured or marked number plates be used to highlight the fact that they are indeed registered for trade purposes. Too often trade-registered large vehicles are used privately in said car parks as owners are encouraged to do so as their use can be written off for tax purposes. The visible number plates would identify them as trade vehicles and make them less appealing to be used for private purposes.
Bring back the tradie van.
Michael Carroll, Kensington<\/strong><\/p>\nAND ANOTHER THING<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Re correspondent complaints about the term \u201ccollateral damage\u201d; people hit by munitions aimed at something or somebody else are not \u201cdamaged\u201d. They\u2019re dead.
Albert Riley, Mornington<\/strong><\/p>\n
Peter McGill, Lancefield<\/strong><\/p>\n
Roy Browne, Templestowe<\/strong><\/p>\n
Your correspondent (\u201cMatters of Faith\u201d, Letters, 27\/11), does not seem to understand that the philosophical presupposition in atheism is that all reality is just a question of having a really good look. On the other hand, the Theism of most religions looks to realities that may lie outside our normal perception.
John Uren, Blackburn<\/strong><\/p>\n
David Eames-Mayer, Balwyn<\/strong><\/p>\n