Isn't this the newspaper which purports to be the voice of the Australian Jewish community? (Except, of course, for those Untermenschen who go under the labels of Chareidim, 'frum', observant, ultra-orthodox etc etc).
Danby, by far the strongest supporter of Israel and the loudest voice we have in Canberra is treated with less respect that spokesmen' for groups of nonentities that no one had heard of or give a rats about.
Who is behind this? Zeddy Lawrence the most recent temp to swing through the AJN editorial revolving door, or his paymaster Robert Magid?
And where are the leaders of the Jewish community? Why don't we hear the voices of the ECAJ, JCCV and the NSWBOD? And what about all the machers who overcrowd the 'leadership' positions in our dozens of Zionist organizations? Where is the ZFA, it's state branches, the JNF, UIA and all the others whose justification for existence (and fundraising) is to support a safe and secure Israel? No one has done or does more for that cause than Michael Danby, but we have yet to see any of this overinflated group of do-gooders comment publicly about the AJN's behaviour.
The execrable and despicable New Israel Fund is, after all is said and done, made up almost completely by a left-wing, Reform-supporting (and supported), anti-religious and anti-Israel clump of the most distasteful types found in the Jewish world. (Eg, see here, here, here, and here). A quick look a their website clearly shows there preference for Palestinians over religious Jews. Read their own words and you too will wonder why they call themselves "New Israel Fund" when "Fund for Palestine" would be the accurate and honest label they deserve.
Yet when those thin-skinned mates of our enemies whined about how their leader Naomi Chazan was (honestly) portrayed to the community, the pages of the AJN were full of apologetics and remorseful contriteness.
But Michael Danby's efforts or feelings? Who gives a toss!
Shame AJN, shame! And shame on our communal organisations and leadership.
Meanwhile the recent comment by Shoshana Silcove on her blog has a certain relevance to this post.
Open letter to Zeddy Lawrence editor of the Australian Jewish News
Zeddy,
While I agree you are most conciliatory to deal with on a personal level, the paper you edit is not very Jewish at all. Does it really represent the Jewish community? Certainly not the majority. The majority is not in favour of gay marriage as a basic human right, nor is it in favour of pandering to Muslim extremists. The Jewish News's reason for existence is not to serve Jews, Judaism, or the Jewish community, but to make a profit, even at all of our's expense, especially the frum. Unfortunately, it's like having a neurotic relative, and we are stuck with your paper as a forum to reach large numbers of Australian Jews with our messages, regardless if it represents our way of life and views or not. Do not mistake our (the silent majority's) reluctant participation in your paper as support of your editorials or perspective.
Ironic you say you feel you were maligned in this blog when you are the editor of a paper that engages in diatribes, specifically against religious Jews, on a regular basis. Remember how the AJN besmirched Rabbi Engel from Adelaide, who by the way was found not guilty of all criminal charges. Why never any front page apology for that? Because he is Orthodox?
Your projection of the death of the Australian Jewish community should cause you to take stock of the paper's direction since the only faction of Jews in Australia that is growing and has a bright future is the Orthodox. Maybe you should stop biting the hand that can and will feed you?
As far as the coverage of Lion FM is concerned, I am happy you printed my letter but, I understand there were quite a number of other letters on my side of the fence that were not published. Still, my letter does not compensate for the biased and one sided reportage of the past year. Come one Zeddy, surely you can do better than this!
