Beautiful. I am also an anti-Zionist Jew. I’ve never felt more Jewish than when I was in Syria last month, meeting Syrians and speaking openly about my anti-Zionist Jewishness. The kindest & most welcoming country I’ve ever been to - and one that Israel is actively occupying.
Also I too have received threats from other Jews with the same language as yours.
Keep using your voice and keep building those bridges. Arabs & Muslims are literally our sisters and brothers.
One of my dearest friends is Syrian-American. During the Assad regime, she could not go back. Once the regime fell, she has been going back quite a bit and is working on projects there. I made her promise that she’d take me one day, and we went for almost a month in March/April. I will be going back in September and December, to hopefully start some of my own projects there including (hopefully) collaborating with one of the Jewish groups there.
This is a beautiful submission, Veronica! Those I have seen offering a defensive view are focused on looking inward and are focused on their sense of victimhood. Yours expresses a desire for reaching out and inviting warmth. I want more than anything that yours is heard more loudly
Beautifully written. I grew up in a mostly Jewish neighbourhood, went to a school that was mostly Jewish. Lived around the corner from a synagogue. Went to Auschwitz-Birkenau, studied the holocaust at uni. Grew up in apartheid South Africa where Palestinian statehood has always been a strong value of anti-apartheid leaders. I'm pro-Jewish. I'm pro-Palestinian. I'm utterly anti-Zionist. Gutted to see how standing up for humanity is concocted to be anti-semitic. It's wonderful to hear you have found support within your community and have felt the love of Muslim people. A warm, generous religion that is co-opted by people who have ulterior motives.
You are so right about the holding of humanitarian values (bog standard core Australian values) being denigrated as antisemitism. Very hurtful to the broader community to have that hissed at them (the incidents I’m thinking of were pre Bondi) . We need deeper, broader reflection if the RC is to avoid being divisive. That’s my concern. I don’t want the many wise, kind, patient members of the local Jewish community lumped in with the harsher, confrontational ‘activists’ if there’s a backlash.
Veronica, thank you so very much for this submission, it is beautiful, full of love and shining examples of humanity reaching out for each other in truth and justice, as it should be for everyone.
Hopefully it will help to balance the negative stories we are hearing.
Wow … I was getting teary reading this Veronica and read it out loud a second time to my husband. We’re not Jewish but we connect with any peace loving human no matter their religion or ethnicity … a truly beautiful submission 🙏🏼❤️
Great contribution. It is hard seeing how deep that ingrained line goes where most of a community turns inside, excludes or ignores the signals around it and expels those who dare question or even worse, disagree. The Zionist grip over large parts of Jewish communities is like a brainwashed cult.
I read your submission and it really touched me because you have articulated what many of us feel: anger and resentment at the Zionist influence that is so pervasive and yet helpless in focusing action. Here in SA I saw beloved Writer's Week crumble under the pressure of the Z lobbying against Palestinian-Australian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah and the backlash which saw an entire board resign. I totally supported the withdrawal of participating writers in protest but it leaves me with such a bitter taste at the interference and influence of the Z lobby. There is a tragedy in Gaza and all they can talk about is hurt feelings about words! Keep up the good work! We all need to make OUR voices heard and our compassion & empathy recognised not denigraded.
Very heartwarming. One of Zionism’s biggest lies especially for Western audiences is that Muslims hate Jews, and want to kill them just bc they’re Jewish.
You’ve spoken from the heart and it shows. I was once married to a Muslim and spent time in the community where he comes from. I found them to be accommodating and gentle. They never pushed their beliefs onto me. Though they didn’t have much, they were willing to help me in any way they could. To begin with, I found it hard adjusting to the mosques call to prayer. Looking back, I miss it. I’d say, it kept the community stable and functioning as one.
Thank you for your article Veronica. It is an important one. The divide has never felt wider, nor the distrust and disdain for Israel more profound. Our governments have not helped. Social media has not helped. Mainstream media has not helped.
For years, people have been fed competing narratives, selective truths, and endless outrage. The result is a public discourse that is increasingly fractured, where understanding has given way to tribalism and people are talking past one another rather than listening.
Whatever one’s views, it is impossible to ignore that the gulf between communities has deepened dramatically. Rebuilding trust will require far more honesty, accountability, and courage than we have seen from many of the institutions that helped create this moment.
Correct in every detail . It is so distressing to see Australian governments wilfully trashing the sovereignty of this nation , and sitting back while foreign states dictate evil racist and genocidal policies , fracturing communities .
Beautiful! As a Jew born in 1939 I felt deeply the stories I heard of the horrors of Nazi concentration camps. Concentration is an understatement. Torture Camps would be better words. But until this genocide became so obvious I always thought that Israel was the promised land for the Jews and everything was fair and there would be two states. This has been so shocking and I have Israeli friends who are Buddhist practitioners who still think October 7 was the only horror of this current war. I also have marched, signed petitions, and written submissions or letters to MPs. At 87, I am slowing down and have not made a submission to this Royal Commission. Congratulations for doing it yourself. I will continue to pray speak Post and write where I can calling out the Zionist Movement for what it is fascist racist and deliverers of genocide.
Much love peace, love and peace to you, sister and your friends and family.,
I was on the Harbour Bridge that day too. Made it to the other side.
The Police response was bullshit, there was no public safety issue reason to turn us around and in fact that resulting chaos made it risky, but even so everyone was totally chill and passed the message back.
I was so proud of Sydney that day. Palestinian women in the train at Central were almost in tears with gratitude at seeing all the keffiyeh on all kinds of people.
Thanks for writing this. Reminds us that ‘Israel’ does not equal ‘Jewishness’ as much as Israel wished it did.
Beautiful. I am also an anti-Zionist Jew. I’ve never felt more Jewish than when I was in Syria last month, meeting Syrians and speaking openly about my anti-Zionist Jewishness. The kindest & most welcoming country I’ve ever been to - and one that Israel is actively occupying.
Also I too have received threats from other Jews with the same language as yours.
Keep using your voice and keep building those bridges. Arabs & Muslims are literally our sisters and brothers.
Oh that's such a fantastic experience. I'd love to know why you went to Syria.
One of my dearest friends is Syrian-American. During the Assad regime, she could not go back. Once the regime fell, she has been going back quite a bit and is working on projects there. I made her promise that she’d take me one day, and we went for almost a month in March/April. I will be going back in September and December, to hopefully start some of my own projects there including (hopefully) collaborating with one of the Jewish groups there.
It,s just a small thing but an important one. You being you. You are WHO not THAT. A person who’s stood up and been counted. ☄️
This is a beautiful submission, Veronica! Those I have seen offering a defensive view are focused on looking inward and are focused on their sense of victimhood. Yours expresses a desire for reaching out and inviting warmth. I want more than anything that yours is heard more loudly
Beautifully written. I grew up in a mostly Jewish neighbourhood, went to a school that was mostly Jewish. Lived around the corner from a synagogue. Went to Auschwitz-Birkenau, studied the holocaust at uni. Grew up in apartheid South Africa where Palestinian statehood has always been a strong value of anti-apartheid leaders. I'm pro-Jewish. I'm pro-Palestinian. I'm utterly anti-Zionist. Gutted to see how standing up for humanity is concocted to be anti-semitic. It's wonderful to hear you have found support within your community and have felt the love of Muslim people. A warm, generous religion that is co-opted by people who have ulterior motives.
You are so right about the holding of humanitarian values (bog standard core Australian values) being denigrated as antisemitism. Very hurtful to the broader community to have that hissed at them (the incidents I’m thinking of were pre Bondi) . We need deeper, broader reflection if the RC is to avoid being divisive. That’s my concern. I don’t want the many wise, kind, patient members of the local Jewish community lumped in with the harsher, confrontational ‘activists’ if there’s a backlash.
Heartfelt thanks for such a positive submission. Always focussed on the huge amount of goodwill that seems to go without recognition.
Veronica, thank you so very much for this submission, it is beautiful, full of love and shining examples of humanity reaching out for each other in truth and justice, as it should be for everyone.
Hopefully it will help to balance the negative stories we are hearing.
Wow … I was getting teary reading this Veronica and read it out loud a second time to my husband. We’re not Jewish but we connect with any peace loving human no matter their religion or ethnicity … a truly beautiful submission 🙏🏼❤️
Thank you so much for doing what you do.
Great contribution. It is hard seeing how deep that ingrained line goes where most of a community turns inside, excludes or ignores the signals around it and expels those who dare question or even worse, disagree. The Zionist grip over large parts of Jewish communities is like a brainwashed cult.
I read your submission and it really touched me because you have articulated what many of us feel: anger and resentment at the Zionist influence that is so pervasive and yet helpless in focusing action. Here in SA I saw beloved Writer's Week crumble under the pressure of the Z lobbying against Palestinian-Australian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah and the backlash which saw an entire board resign. I totally supported the withdrawal of participating writers in protest but it leaves me with such a bitter taste at the interference and influence of the Z lobby. There is a tragedy in Gaza and all they can talk about is hurt feelings about words! Keep up the good work! We all need to make OUR voices heard and our compassion & empathy recognised not denigraded.
Very heartwarming. One of Zionism’s biggest lies especially for Western audiences is that Muslims hate Jews, and want to kill them just bc they’re Jewish.
You’ve spoken from the heart and it shows. I was once married to a Muslim and spent time in the community where he comes from. I found them to be accommodating and gentle. They never pushed their beliefs onto me. Though they didn’t have much, they were willing to help me in any way they could. To begin with, I found it hard adjusting to the mosques call to prayer. Looking back, I miss it. I’d say, it kept the community stable and functioning as one.
Thank you for your article Veronica. It is an important one. The divide has never felt wider, nor the distrust and disdain for Israel more profound. Our governments have not helped. Social media has not helped. Mainstream media has not helped.
For years, people have been fed competing narratives, selective truths, and endless outrage. The result is a public discourse that is increasingly fractured, where understanding has given way to tribalism and people are talking past one another rather than listening.
Whatever one’s views, it is impossible to ignore that the gulf between communities has deepened dramatically. Rebuilding trust will require far more honesty, accountability, and courage than we have seen from many of the institutions that helped create this moment.
Correct in every detail . It is so distressing to see Australian governments wilfully trashing the sovereignty of this nation , and sitting back while foreign states dictate evil racist and genocidal policies , fracturing communities .
Such beautiful words. I'm sorry that Zionist Jews are harassing you.
You are a braze and kind person.
Beautiful! As a Jew born in 1939 I felt deeply the stories I heard of the horrors of Nazi concentration camps. Concentration is an understatement. Torture Camps would be better words. But until this genocide became so obvious I always thought that Israel was the promised land for the Jews and everything was fair and there would be two states. This has been so shocking and I have Israeli friends who are Buddhist practitioners who still think October 7 was the only horror of this current war. I also have marched, signed petitions, and written submissions or letters to MPs. At 87, I am slowing down and have not made a submission to this Royal Commission. Congratulations for doing it yourself. I will continue to pray speak Post and write where I can calling out the Zionist Movement for what it is fascist racist and deliverers of genocide.
Much love peace, love and peace to you, sister and your friends and family.,
Joy
Kudos on your courage and innate decency. You are on the right side of history.
I was on the Harbour Bridge that day too. Made it to the other side.
The Police response was bullshit, there was no public safety issue reason to turn us around and in fact that resulting chaos made it risky, but even so everyone was totally chill and passed the message back.
I was so proud of Sydney that day. Palestinian women in the train at Central were almost in tears with gratitude at seeing all the keffiyeh on all kinds of people.
Thanks for writing this. Reminds us that ‘Israel’ does not equal ‘Jewishness’ as much as Israel wished it did.
🕊️🍉 🇮🇱🩸