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Ray Jackson: My rebuttal of the attacks by the Jewish lobby by Ray Jackson 26 December 2013
W
hat began, as I saw it, as an historical storm in a teacup became, due to the frantic efforts of a few people, a lesson and rebuttal on rewriting history or the attempt thereof. My following words and the articles that follow set out my beliefs most clearly. But like all good tales we need to begin at the beginning. I, like billions of others around the world, was saddened by the death of Nelson Mandela. Tears came to my eyes when I learnt of his passing. Great men and women had died previously but none of the political stature of Madiba. His life was a great gift to the rest of us and we mourned his passing whilst celebrating his life. And his lessons on struggle. I expected no further involvement and said farewell in my own private way when quite unexpectedly I was asked to attend not one but two memorial services for Madiba. I was, of course, absolutely thrilled and honoured to be asked to participate in such an event. The first invite came from the Pitt Street Uniting Church and that was followed by an invite from the UNSW organisers to attend that event the following day. Both invites came from areas normally outside of my area of activity. I admit to no great personal involvement during the antiapartheid demonstrations; my input was through my then trade union activities. I had met with Eddie Funde and his family and supported as best as my then circumstances allowed. What I did do however is acquaint myself of the facts of the apartheid regime and its supporters.
Ray Jackson speaing during a rally. Image supplied.
I read, watched and listened, and learnt. And that learning has been supported by further learning. Madiba, for me, then and now, has completely epitomized my deep understanding of struggle to fight against bad laws and bad governments. Nelson and the ANC fought against the complete loss of their lands and their humanity, along with their innate human rights. I was as comfortable with the counter-violence used by the ANC as being absolutely necessary to winning their war. So too was/is
Archbishop Tutu. Basically I have been an ANC and Madiba total supporter since I was made aware of the struggle. Hence to receive not one but two invites to talk of my understanding and respect for this man were events not to be missed. I attended the Pitt street Uniting church and after renewing some old contacts I became inculcated into the active participants in the process. The four religious leaders, all representing only Christian religions, made a comment and lit
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candles. There were I also stated that I only three speakers had been sickened by following Dorothy politicians slinking McRea-McMahon, out of their caves to the first the acting feast upon the glory High Commissioner of Madiba. When of South Africa, Ray finished, as is my Sitole, who spoke for practice, I thanked 10 minutes, and Kolin the audience and Thumbadoo, an ANC returned to my seat. activist among other At the mention of things, and myself Zionism I was booed on behalf of my by a small group that I association, ISJA. later found out where My address there Jewish students. Some was less political applause was also than that given at given and I waited the the UNSW event speeches of others, Ray Jackson during an interview with NITV. Image supplied but I did raise the including Ms. Meredith fact that Madiba had Bergmann who was and Reagan who actively fought supported us (Aboriginal people) extremely active in the disruption against the sanctions against the to fight against injustice in all of the springbok tours. apartheid government of South areas; to fight against bad laws and During that time I was Africa. I had decided to re-raise his bad governments. I also raised the approached by a Ms. Jenny Tillman activism and leadership and this I fact that some religions also had who began by stating that she did. bad laws and we needed to fight had fought for 20 years to obtain I was accompanied to the against them also. When leaving the Saturday event by my other son scholarships at Masada College for church several people made known and daughter along with my Aboriginal students - and I thanked to me that they had agreed with her for her good works. I was then granddaughter. I was either the what I had said. I then renewed my third or fourth speaker. After strongly told that I was a disgrace friendship with NSW Governor and divisive as I had politicised acknowledging the stolen Gadigal Marie Bashir and departed for a the day! I was that shocked by land I began by saying that whilst pending ISJA public meeting. her outburst that I inadvertently it was true that Madiba was a At both events I acknowledged laughed at her claim that I had in colossus of humanity and a tower that we were meeting on the stolen of tolerance and forgiveness he was some way not only offended her lands of the Gadigal people. much, much more than that and that and the ‘whole’ audience but that I wanted the UNSW address I had politicised the event! I told fact needed to be also recognised to be similar in some detail to the her that Madiba was political and I when talking of the life of Madiba. Pitt Street Uniting Church one and Madiba was not only a fighter for would retract nothing nor apologise believed that I would be able to for my statements of fact. his own people and other Africans do so. At no time was I instructed There were other words but they also fighting against colonialism by the organisers that I should faded as she left in a great huff. but he was also, most definitely, not be political in content. During Others, I was told, who had heard an international fighter of great the previous days of his funereal the conversation had apparently had stature. He also supported the process I was extremely angered by struggles of other peoples around had words with her. I thought no news attempts to whitewash the real the world. Three of those struggles more about it and at the completion history of Madiba. of the event I was thanked by he supported were the Palestinian Only his tolerance, humanity the organisers, the South African struggle against Zionist hegemony, and forgiveness was highlighted comrades and some members of the the Cuban people’s fight against whilst his role of political activist audience. Our family unit went to U.S. hegemony and the struggle of and being released from 27 years our respective homes. the Aborigines of Australia against of political imprisonment, 25 on On the Tuesday I was contacted colonialist hegemony. But he Robben Island and another two on understood more than that, he knew by NITV who informed me that I the mainland, was not mentioned. was to appear in an article in the that those three groups had come He was disgustingly now measured forth very early to give support to Australian on Wednesday about against such politicians as Thatcher his struggle. the Saturday event. I was stunned!
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A storm in a teacup had somehow become worthy of becoming national news. Absolutely ridiculous! On the Wednesday, Nicholas Leys of The Australian sent me a copy of his report after our discussion the previous day. The article is reproduced below. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry but it most definitely did not amuse others. I assumed that it would now be overtaken by tinsel and Xmas cake but I was wrong. On the Friday I was contacted by some out-ofbreath woman on Jwire. Jwire is a Jewish news service. This was becoming farcical to the point of harassment towards me. She stated that I had to apologise for my words and I told her that I do not apprise for telling truths. She became hysterical that I had used the term, ‘Zionist hegemony’ and I should be shamed to the core. The reverse was my reply and so it went on and on until I called a halt to it by telling her to take me to court if her or Jenny or others had been defamed in any way whereby the history of Zionism could be discussed in full. Thankfully, silence since then but I am assuming this rebuttal may shake their revisionist policies once more into action. Some readers of this post may not know what Zionism is so I include a brief explanation from wikipedia that closest matches my beliefs on that subject. This is followed by a link to an American Town Hall meeting as it is described. Madiba participated strongly in his support for the Palestinian and Cuban peoples and finally an article explaining why Netanyahu did not attend the great man’s funereal. I now close my personal explanation and rebuttal of the attacks by the Jewish lobby. `Hateful’ comments in speech on Mandela By: NICK LEYS A SPEAKER at a memorial
service for Nelson Mandela outraged some guests by referring to the ``Palestinian struggle’’ and ``Zionist hegemony’’. Ray Jackson, president of the Indigenous Social Justice Association, was speaking at a University of NSW’s Australian Human Rights Centre tribute event last Saturday, which was attended by more than 200 people including federal Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek. His comments were met with boos in the audience, which included members of the Jewish community. Mr Jackson had made similar comments at a service to commemorate Mandela at the Uniting Church in Sydney the previous day. He confirmed his comments to The Australian and acknowledged some of the audience were unhappy, but he felt no need to apologise. ``One teacher from a local Jewish school accused me of politicising the event but I just laughed at her and said Nelson was a political figure,’’ Mr Jackson said. ``I also mentioned the US hegemony over Cuba and that Madiba had supported the Cubans. I said he had supported the Aboriginal struggle for social justice. I mentioned I was disgusted with the politicians crawling out of their caves to feast on the body of Madiba. But the thing that upset them was my reference to Zionism.’’ He said many people in the audience at UNSW had applauded his comments. The chief executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, Vic Alhadeff, who was at the Uniting Church service, said: ``It was highly unfortunate that both ceremonies, which were intended to focus on Mandela’s ability to forgive and bridge divides, were sullied by hateful and divisive views.’’ A spokesman for Ms Plibersek said she had not been aware of Mr Jackson’s comments as she left the service early. Zionism (Hebrew: תונויצ, Tsiyonut; Arabic: ةينويهص, Ṣahyūniyya) is a form of
nationalism of Jews and Jewish culture that, after debates on the best location for the Jewish nation state, including in East Africa, came to support its creation in the territory defined as the Land of Israel. [1] A religious variety of Zionism supports Jews upholding their Jewish identity, opposes the assimilation of Jews into other societies and has advocated the return of Jews to Israel as a means for Jews to be a majority in their own nation, and to be liberated from antisemitic discrimination, exclusion, and persecution that had historically occurred in the diaspora.[1] Zionism emerged in the late 19th century in central and eastern Europe as a national revival movement, and soon after this most leaders of the movement associated the main goal with creating the desired state in Palestine, then an area controlled by the Ottoman Empire.[2][3][4] Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state and address threats to its continued existence and security. In a less common usage, the term may also refer to non-political, cultural Zionism, founded and represented most prominently by Ahad Ha’am; and political support for the State of Israel by non-Jews, as in Christian Zionism. Defenders of Zionism say it is a national liberation movement for the repatriation of a dispersed socio-religious group to what they see as an abandoned homeland millennia before.[5][6] [7] Critics of Zionism see it as a colonialist[8] or racist[9] ideology that led to the denial of rights, dispossession and expulsion of the “indigenous population of Palestine”.
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