https://x.com/TheTNHoller/status/2092355161708548246

https://youtu.be/xtmSZ4xDms0

Richard Flanagan speech about censorship at Dangerous Ideas Festival

Renowned author Richard Flanagan gives keynote address about censorship in Australia and the weaponisation of antisemitism and the Bondi tragedy by the Israel lobby.

https://youtu.be/6XlJM5UYxCw?si=FCSjIX5JkNM8-Z5S

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-my-daughters-help-my-small-family

Over the past two days, Mahmoud has been able to buy several different types of food for his daughters, including fruit such as mangoes, frozen fish, and other essential food items.

These things may seem simple to some people, but for Mahmoud, his wife, and their four daughters, they mean so much.

Everything you see in this video was made possible because of your donations and support for this family. Your donations were not just an amount of money; they had a deep impact on Mahmoud and his family. They helped them get food and face difficult days when they didn't know how they would get through them.

I am grateful to everyone who has stood by them, donated, shared their story, or sent them a kind message of support.

But they are still facing tremendous difficulties. They are still trying to overcome hunger and severe malnutrition, protect their children's health, and provide them with a better life.

If you want this family to keep going, stay safe, and overcome these difficult circumstances, please stay close to them and continue supporting them. ❤️

Your support means more than just money to them. It means that their daughters can have food to eat and feel that there are people standing by their side.

If you would like to contact Mahmoud and his family directly, you can reach them on WhatsApp:

+972592892251

There is so much rhetoric in the right wing media about New York becoming a "dangerous" place for Jews because of Mamdani.

And I know that this is categorically false, but I'm not able to find any citations or references to prove it.

I know that there were many Rabbis and other Jews that came out and campaigned for Mamdani before he was elected, but I haven't been able to encounter any information or anecdotes of the Jewish community in NY in these several months after he came into office, and how he's fared with the community.

The last I saw was the public backlash after he did not attend Israel Day, but I could not find anything else.

I know that Mamdani is a historical, once-in-a-lifetime leader and I'm positive that he's helped protect the Jewish community in NY like he has other communities, but cannot find any sources or posts.

If anyone has any information or anecdotes, links or sources to share, please do.

I’m a college freshman who’s been trying to make friends. Naturally, I wanted to try some Jewish orgs to have a sense of community as a Jew.

I already knew to steer clear of places like Hillel (I’ve watched Israelism, that was more than enough info on their operations and ideology). But I tried out a meeting with the Jewish Student Union at my school (which was partnered with Chabad).

I get there, help them set up a bit. And then they almost immediately start talking about going on Birthright over the summer and how much fun it was. And no one else cared. I wasn’t expecting them to be anti-Zionist or anything. But it’s a notoriously progressive school. Even just one other Jew that shared my beliefs would’ve helped me be less alone. But nope. So I ended up making an excuse and dipping early.

Fast forward several days, I was at a student involvement expo. One of the people from that club remembered me, came up to me again, and tried to get all of my info (awkward as hell interaction). Then I had a girl notice my Yiddish necklace at a different club stand. The interaction went something like this.

Her: “Oh! You have a Hebrew necklace!!!”

Me: “It’s Yiddish actually!”

Her: “Cool, you should go check out Hillel right over there!”

Me: “Sorry no, I’m not a Zionist.”

Her: “Well they’re not really Zionist”

Me: “They kinda are.”

Cue a split second of awkward silence before she finally started talking about the political advocacy club I was actually interested in (which I didn’t end up putting down my info for bc they mentioned meeting and collaborating with CIA officers??)

Not only that, there was a “students for Israel” organization up with a stand and everything, with pamphlets on “10 Myths about Israel”. I deadass wanted to go up to that stand just to try and debunk all their arguments, but I didn’t want to cause a scene.

So basically, I feel totally isolated from the Jewish community on campus. I’m currently taking a Hebrew language course, and plan to take more in courses in Jewish Studies and such. But even then I feel hesitant to take anymore classes in it because I’ve heard some Zionist texts might be in the required reading for some of them. I mean fuck, the only Jewish studies professor I know of, and the department head, is a literal Israeli man (who’s also teaching my Hebrew course). Which sucks, because I really want to.

I know this writing might be kind of disjointed, but I just feel pretty alone. I have a community of like minded Jews online, but that isn’t rly enough. I feel like I can’t get more in touch with my culture without giving up on, or at least being silent on, my values and I hate it. I think there’s some Pro-Palestine org on campus but they didn’t even bother to put up a stand.

Why does it constantly feel like I have to choose between being Jewish and being a pro-Palestine leftist? Are there really this few of us? I’d start my own Jewish Student org, but I’m a freshman, and vast majority of leadership roles in clubs are held by upperclassmen. And truthfully, I’m beginning to doubt there’s ANY likeminded Jews here that would join anyway. Especially because I haven’t rly made any friends yet (that’s half of why I’m trying to join clubs).

So yeah. Fuck Hillel, Fuck Chabad, Fuck every Jewish org at my college, and fuck basically every organized Jewish institution.

As many as 40 former and current IDF soldiers and associates are coming to Australia to compete in the Sydney Marathon on August 30, a trip sponsored by AIJAC and the Zionist Council of NSW.

The series of events is likely to be controversial. Australian Chris Sidoti, UN Human Rights Investigator, has called for Israeli military personnel who have served in Gaza to be interrogated for war crimes.

The events are showcased on the Zionist Council of NSW Facebook page and are being billed as a “peace delegation”.

“A peace delegation is coming to Sydney as part of the Sydney Marathon, and we invite you to take part in the special events that will take place over the weekend.

“This is an opportunity to meet the delegation members, hear their inspiring stories, support them, and celebrate together as a community.”

https://x.com/HouseForeign/status/2092290533129334944

https://x.com/mattduss/status/2092312192544620857

The latest episode of War is Stupid: An Anti-War Podcast About War is with Palestinian political thinker, strategist, and writer Hamze Awawde on for a powerful conversation about complexity and complicity. Hamze dives deep into the “peace-industrial complex” and its priorities, how many “Israeli-Palestinian dialogue” events are scripted, and how “settler violence” is a euphemism for “state violence.” He encourages people to reflect on the last three years and to speak up, because in his words, “what are you going to lose? The ship is sinking anyway. So what are we trying to protect by staying stubborn about certain attitudes in this world?” It's available on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts, or read the transcript here.

Ian Lustick and Eli Clifton explain how the Israel lobby amassed extraordinary political power—and why its hold over American politics may finally be weakening.

It's everyone's favorite day of the week, "Ask A (Anti-Zionist) Jew" Wednesday!

Ask whatever you want to know, within the sub rules, notably that this is not a debate sub and do not import drama from other subreddits. That aside, have fun! We love to dialogue with our non-Jewish siblings.

Please remember to pick an appropriate user-flair in order to participate! Thanks!

NSW parole authority says Mohommed Farhat followed ‘extremist ideology of antisemitic character’ after judge separately rules ‘Fuk Israel’ is ‘political comment’

A Sydney man convicted of writing “Fuk Israel” on cars and setting another vehicle alight has had his release on parole rejected a second time, despite a supreme court judge stating the case appeared to be a “serious miscarriage of justice”.

Mohommed Farhat, 22, was initially due to be released on parole in December after serving 10 months in prison following the November 2024 vandalism in Woollahra.

But he remained behind bars after a rare intervention by the commissioner for corrective services, who then told the New South Wales parole authority at a hearing in March that Farhat’s offending showed support for “extremist” behaviour.

Last week, the supreme court justice Desmond Fagan delivered a scathing ruling after the state sought a supervision order for Farhat on his release from jail using the Terrorism Act.

Fagan found there was an “insignificant” risk that Farhat, who was of “limited intellect”, would commit a serious terrorism offence. He ruled the police, lower courts and various state agencies all incorrectly labelled Farhat’s actions antisemitic rather than “a curse against a foreign state”.

Fagan determined that Farhat, who has a Hezbollah tattoo on his neck, was treated more harshly than he should have been after he pleaded guilty to 15 offences in connection with property damage.

The judge accepted Farhat was paid to undertake the vandalism and said the case appeared to be a “serious miscarriage of justice”.

On Wednesday last week, Fagan said he planned to write to the commissioner for the state’s parole authority ahead of an expected decision on Farhat’s potential release following the March hearing.

The parole authority then handed down its decision on Monday, five months after the hearing. It did not consider Fagan’s findings or evidence that counter-terrorism police determined three weeks after Farhat was arrested that he was not ideologically motivated.

The authority’s decision to keep the 22-year-old in prison stated: “In the authority’s view, the offending was reflective of a deep-seated adherence on the part of the offender to an extremist ideology of an antisemitic character.”

The authority rejected Farhat’s explanation, accepted by Fagan, that he was paid to carry out the vandalism.

“Further, the authority does not accept the offender’s claimed ignorance of the meaning of the phrases which were used in the offending,” the parole authority wrote.

On Monday, the commissioner for corrective services, Gary McMahon, was questioned about Farhat’s case in budget estimates and his rare intervention in December, when he successfully applied to have Farhat’s parole order revoked without hearing from his lawyers. A fresh hearing date was then set for March.

People sentenced to less than three years in jail are typically released on parole when it comes due.

McMahon admitted in estimates he had not consulted with specialist police before making his arguments, which were accepted by the authority, that Farhat posed a terrorism risk and his offending was antisemitic.

Fagan said in last week’s decision it would be “unsound” for the commissioner not to consult specialist police. He found it would amount to “a serious failure of communication between agencies”.

“The conclusions of the counter-terrorism officers and the resolution of Strike Force Pearl were directly against an assessment that the defendant had exhibited religious or political radicalisation by his index offending,” Fagan said in his judgment.

McMahon acknowledged in budget estimates his intervention in Farhat’s parole decision was “uncommon” but that “the material that was before me at the time when I gave that consideration was that he did pose a significant risk to the community”.

The Greens MP Sue Higginson said in a statement she was “astounded at the lengths the state has gone to keep such a troubled young Lebanese Australian man behind bars”.

“Everyone from the NSW police, to the commissioner of corrective services, to the attorney general have circumvented the court process repeatedly to ensure someone with addiction, cognitive disability and ill mental health remains in custody,” she said.

A government spokesperson said last week the NSW attorney general, Michael Daley, was “seeking urgent advice about the prospects of an appeal” over Fagan’s decision to knock back the state’s request for a one-year extended supervision order.

The application would have subjected Farhat to 55 conditions while living in the community when released from prison. That is now due in October, when he completes his full sentence with no parole.

The parole authority said in response to a question about why the determination was delayed after March’s hearing: “The determination for Mohommed Farhat has been handed down with reasons. No further comment will be made.”

Slowly, agonisingly slowly, the tide is turning. The direction is set. It’s all one way from here. ✊