Executive Council of Australian Jewry Antisemitism Report 2009 1 October 2008 – 30 September 2009 THIS REPORT WAS WHOLLY RESEARCHED AND WRITTEN BY JEREMY JONES AM, TO ASSIST UNDERSTANDING OF ANTI-JEWISH VIOLENCE, VANDALISM, HARASSMENT AND PREJUDICE IN CONTEMPORARY AUSTRALIA Jeremy Jones is Director of International and Community Affairs, Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council and Honorary Life Member, Executive Council of Australian Jewry This document should not be reproduced or distributed, and the original work not quoted, without the express permission of the author. 140 William Street, East Sydney, NSW 2011, AUSTRALIA Phone: +61 2 9360 5415 Facsimile: +61 2 9360 5416 E-mail:
[email protected] November 2009 http://www.aijac.org.au/?id=editionarticle&articleID=5660&_action=showArticleDetails The Last Word: An Intolerable Tolerance by Jeremy Jones Michael Backman, who wrote a disgusting, vile piece of anti-Jewish fiction masquerading as an opinion article in the business section of the Age newspaper, was rightly criticised by the editor of that paper, competing media outlets, politicians and others. The column, which consisted of little more than a string of caricatures, slanders and factual inaccuracies, had been approved for publication by those responsible for putting out the newspaper (in the regular editor's absence). By doing so, serious questions were raised as to why they should ever be trusted to know the differences between news and slander, or between argument and libel. Those responsible deserve to be held in disgrace and the swift and forthright condemnations of them by Michael Danby MP and Senator Michael Ronaldson were examples of moral leadership on the subject of racism.