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ANTISEMITISM
Re Peter Hartcher’s article, “Poisonous hatred a threat to us all” (30/6): In my experience, Australia is not an antisemitic nation, despite events and claims that may suggest otherwise. The idea that conscription will help resolve broader social and national challenges is unconvincing. A more constructive path lies in greater investment in public education, which will strengthen social cohesion. By contrast, an expanding divide between public and private schooling risks deepening separation, alienation, and fragmentation within the community.
Paul Caine, Glen Huntly
Good people vilified
As stated by Peter Hartcher, “the Lowy family has been a gift to Australia”, having founded one of this country’s most successful businesses, transformed Australian soccer into a professional structure, and – like John and Pauline Gandel – been among our most generous philanthropists. All have been subjected to antisemitic attacks, at least partly been driven by their strong support for Israel’s existence. It is particularly offensive that such Zionist Jews have often been accused of being more loyal to Israel than to Australia, especially when one recalls that Australia’s greatest military commander, Sir John Monash, was the founding president of the Zionist Federation of Australia.
Geoff Feren, St Kilda East
Confront ignorance now
Peter Hartcher cites the admirable Stephen Lowy as proposing the creation of a national education curriculum in relation to antisemitism. Here it is worth observing that in the United States, notwithstanding the absence of a federally mandated Holocaust education program, nearly half of the states have now adopted such a curriculum initiative. Such courses are increasingly addressing not only the broader historical narrative of the Nazi genocide but also the dynamics of Hitler’s “willing executioners” who came from the ranks of ordinary Germans willing to turn a blind eye to atrocities. Teaching in 2026 about the Jewish experience of being discriminated against in Australia also has potential relevance to the experience of those students experiencing Islamophobia. It is imperative that the corrosive effects of rank historical ignorance be confronted in this nation now. Education departments at the federal and state levels need to lift their game.
Jon McMillan, Mornington
Many see no distinction
What Peter Hartcher doesn’t understand is that antisemites see no distinction between Benjamin Netanyahu and all other Jews. When he criticises Netanyahu’s wars, he never asks what is Israel is supposed to do when its neighbours repeatedly try to annihilate her?
Benjamin Levy, Caulfield North
Crooked reasoning
Why the surprise that some overseas governments are using crime groups to enact antisemitic acts (“Why crime boss Kaz firebombed synagogue”, 29/6)? Let us be clear, having an opinion on the beliefs and practices of the Jewish religion or the actions of the Israeli government is not a crime. It is just a matter of opinion.
Antisemitism – the desire to do harm to people born into a particular group – has always been a crime. So why wouldn’t crime gangs choose to get involved in antisemitism when their entire rationale and business model is “solidarity through rule breaking” and criminal behaviour that they can profit from and recruit by?
Garry Dalrymple, Earlwood, NSW
Solace in solstice
If you writer a letter condemning the actions of Israeli forces in Palestine you are antisemitic. If you condemn the treatment of dissenters and women in Arab countries, you are anti-Islam. If you want less immigration, you are racist. If you see the dismal future of global warming, you are anti-Liberal. But if you see the daylight hours per day increasing, then you know that this cold weather will end and you will be warm in your misery soon.
Adrian Tabor, Point Lonsdale
THE FORUM
Tired lines wear thin
Both the prime minister and premier have used a well-worn line to defend corruption on the Big Build: If anyone has evidence, let them step forward to police (“We can’t do this alone”, 30/6).
The defence of criminal standard just will not hold. That is the value of a royal commission – to get to the truth; to explore the culture, expose grey corruption, and show why witnesses don’t come forward to the police.
The next tired line is from Premier Jacinta Allan: “Zero tolerance.” At least Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has watered that down to “no tolerance”. What we see from both is a lot of tolerance. And a lot of defensiveness from the former minister for the Big Build.
Heartily sick of tired old lines from our top politicians. We deserve better.
Graeme Booth, Hawthorn
Premier loses credibility
Premier Jacinta Allan has lost all credibility as has her government, if any were left. When multiple credible sources indicate that there is rampant corruption, standover tactics and the waste of massive amounts of public monies, the premier admits she either has no insight into what is occurring under her administration, or worse still, is not concerned to launch a proper, judicial inquiry.
It appears that her public relations advisers are bereft of “smart” ideas, this time asking the public to accept the incredulous suggestion that is all inflation (“Inflation the reason behind cost blowout, Allan insists”, 30/6).
The premier seems to have no grasp of her fundamental responsibility, which is to ensure sound, efficient and transparent administration. Yet again, we get dissembling.
Robert Porter, Kew
Unchristian move
The Christian Brothers have, unfortunately, once again displayed how unchristian they are (“Top schools transferred for $1 as order now cries poor”, 30/6). Their asset-moving scheme to avoid financial compensation to abuse survivors is plainly disgusting and insulting to the victims. These boys were entrusted to the brothers for their care and education. No doubt this asset scheme has been organised by the most expensive legal and accounting minds in the country. As is often the case, large corporations will spend unlimited millions of dollars to save money and deny responsibility. Does this pass the pub test? No.
But more importantly, the Christian Brothers should be asking themselves the question, what would Jesus say? I think I know the answer.
Peter O’Brien, Aspendale
Property whingers
Elizabeth Knight’s article about property prices (“House of cards: Labor’s policy risks pushing the market too hard”, 30/6) seems likely to get home owners on board in an attack on the government for its efforts to address the housing crisis and to garner resentment towards the government generally. I have been struck by how loud the voices are of a powerful minority who never once complained as their property values went up and up and up, way beyond fair value, and who are now whinging about a correction.
It is an entitled view that suggests they should somehow be exempt from the realities of investment: risk, rises and falls in prices, and taxes.
Judging by the responses from readers, including home owners and investors, most are in agreement with the government’s efforts to address the housing crisis and realise the impact on them will be minimal.
Emma Borghesi, Rye
Hanson question
Reading the article, “Australian activists fear China’s ethnic unity law” (29/6), led me to ponder that Pauline Hanson would agree with a lot of the law which requires “each ethnic group to have the correct perspectives on the nation, history, ethnicity, culture, and religion and for parents to educate and guide children to love the government”. Minority identities “are tolerated only when they can be folded into a single party-defined national story”.
The law reads like something out of One Nation’s monoculture playbook. Who would have thought that the far right of Australian politics and the Communist Party of China have common goals?
Peter Roche, Carlton
English failure
The requirement of right-wing politicians that migrants and refugees take out Australian citizenship, and as a consequence have facility in English, fails to recognise the contribution the migration makes to Australia.
The first love of my life was the daughter of Greek migrants. Neither parent spoke English, yet both their daughters went to Melbourne University and became teachers. Two of their four grandchildren are doctors. Their contribution to Australia is immeasurable.
Bruce Hartnett, Alphington
Prioritise wellbeing
Our very high level of population growth is supposed to be great for our economy. However, the infrastructure cost to manage this growth is leaving us in serious debt (“Post-COVID debt growth challenges all but one state”, 29/6). If we do not have the revenue to pay for our essential public services, we are essentially going backwards. Our future does not look very rosy if we continue to grow unsustainably, depleting and over-allocating our natural resources and thereby turbocharging inequality and intergenerational inequity.
It is time for our leaders to stop measuring economic success by a sheer headcount and prioritise the actual wellbeing of Australians.
Jennie Epstein, Little River
Burnham refreshing
On Monday night, Andy Burnham gave what will likely be remembered as a watershed speech summed up with the line, “growth in every postcode, and hope in every heart” (“‘Number 10 North’: PM-in-waiting vows major power shift out of London”, 30/6). While ambition may yet be tempered by the inertia of Whitehall, it is at least refreshing to hear a politician aim for betterment of the community through uplift and empowerment rather than regression and division. Nation-building used to be a given in political programming in Australia, but it has given way to mouldering conservatism and tepid managerialism. Were our leaders to set forth bold programs like Burnham, I’m sure the right-wing populism now leering across our landscape would quickly return to ashes.
Wil Wallace, Wangaratta
Gambling reality
Sean Kelly writes that “a government has a choice: move toward the reality that most voters see, or convince voters of the reality it sees” (“Laying the bricks, keeping the faith”, 29/6). What then does it see in the reality that, according to a 2026 YouGov poll, 77 per cent of Australians support a ban on gambling advertising as proposed by the 2023 Murphy gambling reform report?
Joe Wilder, Caulfield North
Coalition lesson
The polls place the Coalition voter numbers third after Labor and One Nation. Why? This situation arose when Sussan Ley was undermined and lost the leadership. Had she still been in parliament, there would have been no Farrer byelection and therefore no huge dose of oxygen to One Nation.
Following the Labor split in the 1950s, Labor never tried to court favour with the DLP. Rather, it was always placed last or low on Labor how-to-vote cards. It took about 17 years for the DLP to “wither on the vine”, to quote Arthur Calwell.
How long will the Coalition take to learn this lesson? Good government requires a good opposition, something missing now. They could start by acknowledging the climate catastrophe.
Rod Watson, East Brighton
Protect our planet
There is a sad irony in the fact that skiing increasingly depends on snow-making machines, which are powered by fossil fuels, which have caused the rain on the skiing parade in the first place (“‘Frustrating start’ to the ski season”, 30/6).
What can skiers do about it?
Protect Our Winters is an international organisation using its “privilege and voice to drive systemic change that protects our winters and our planet”. In Australia, POW members recognise that fossil fuels are fuelling the climate crisis. They advocate for policy solutions.
Australia is the world’s third-largest exporter of fossil fuels and, per capita, one of the world’s highest green house gas emitters. Those who continue to deny our responsibility, and those who still deny there is even a problem, are getting in the way of urgent action.
Fiona Colin, Malvern East
Climate rethink
A total rethink for Liberal and One Nation climate change deniers who persist with the myth that nuclear power will be Australia’s redeemer, with the news from France of a shutdown of two nuclear reactors. France, in an unprecedented heatwave, was forced to take the action under threat of the inability to cool the reactors by regular means (“Australia’s used to heatwaves. What makes Europe’s ‘heat dome’ different?” 26/6).
This amazing outcome should put wind in the sails of the Albanese government and turbines for clean power generation.
Paul Harkins, Middle Park
Line to remember
“You may have just bought a piece of English history, but you don’t own anything,” said Audrey fforbes-Hamilton to Richard de Vere, on the subject of him being the new landlord of an old patch.
A nicely delivered line by Dame Penelope Anne Constance Keith in the TV show, To the Manor Born. She was an avid gardener and president of the South West Surrey chapter of the National Trust (“To the Manor Born and The Good Life star Penelope Keith dies aged 86”, 30/6). On my to-do list is personally delivering that marvellous line, changing the country name along the way, to every multinational mining company chief executive suit on our beautiful planet.
Vale Dame Penelope.
Nina Wellington Iser, Hawthorn
AND ANOTHER THING …
One Nation
China’s legislating for a monoculture of their own (“Activists fear China’s ethnic unity law”, 29/6). Seems like Pauline Hanson has more in common with the Reds.
Mark Kennedy, Sebastopol
There is one powerful argument for banning migration. If it wasn’t for migration, Pauline Hanson would not be an Australian citizen.
Geoffrey Petrie, Safety Beach
If the answer is Pauline Hanson, in what universe could that have been the question?
Tony Haydon, Springvale
Building bad
Jacinta, call the royal commission, pick the commissioner, set the terms of reference and timeline. With legal haggling, it might start before November 28. Two years later as premier, you can decide on the relevance of the findings.
George Reed, Wheelers Hill
Simple rule in politics: Never call a royal commission unless you know the outcome.
William Holmes, Kew
While noting your correspondents (Letters, 30/6) criticising Labor, let’s not forget the Greens and minor parties who pass Labor’s legislation.
David Cayzer, Clifton Hill
Semantics
I would have thought transferring the ownership of a school to avoid paying damages in sexual assault cases isn’t a very Christian thing to do.
Peter Baddeley, Portland
I’m incredulous that a former secondary teacher of English does not understand the meaning of the word, headlock.
Marion Barry, Maribyrnong
Furthermore
The real winners and heroes of the World Cup are the Iranian players. Mexico deserves thanks for supporting them in so many ways.
Mary Fenelon, Doncaster East
If a sore Egypt team is sent home by our Socceroos, at least they won’t have any trouble finding a chiropractor.
John Rawson, Mernda
Finally
Football. Enforced head guards. It’s a no-brainer.
James Casey, Richmond
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