What an excellent analysis of the current situation . Jews are being excluded from parts of society and gaslit when they raise it. As with some of the October 7 commentary - either it didn’t happen or they had it coming .
As usual an informative and balanced analysis of current events. The Media has much to answer for: first, the non-reporting if significant events, and second the subjective reporting of selected events. This essay/article is an example of the best journalism. It no longer exists in Australia. I think that the moment degrees were introduced into the world of journalism, and tertiary institutions took over training would-be journalists the standard of the fourth estate tumbled. We reap what we sow- a fractured,ill-informed and cowed society.
I'm not Jewish. I utterly support the Jewish people, whether here or around the world, and especially in Israel, where that tiny piece of land is under constant attack for no other reason than that it is a Jewish state. I'm horrified by the antisemitism that I've been seeing among friends and family: all of them Labor voters, union members, self-described believers in social justice. All I know now is that I can't vote for any party that condones or turns a blind eye to this toxic mind fungus. There may have been a Labor landslide, but for the first time in my life I voted neither Labor nor Green. And I don't know when I can ever trust the left again. In the meantime, Michael Gawenda, I stand with you and with the Jewish people and with Israel.
To answer the question: What does JB's recapitulated victory mean for the artists who can't get platformed?
It means that the end-audience is not the problem here, their patronage and demand for whichever artists they enjoy is just fine - the problem is with the middle-man. The galleries, venues, festivals are the gatekeepers who are cowering before the hecklers' veto of an aggressive activist class. This is a very similar phenomenon to the fight gender critical feminists had to fight against.
Completely agree, the audience isn’t the issue, it’s the gatekeepers.
Take Louise Adler and the Adelaide Writers’ Festival - she gave space to speakers who praised terrorism, while sidelining Jewish voices as “too Zionist.” This more than bias, it’s the result of deliberate infiltration by Islamist, far-left, and antisemitic actors who’ve embedded themselves in cultural institutions, grant bodies, and venues. They’re enforcing ideological purity tests where supporting Israel’s existence gets you blacklisted, but glorifying Hezbollah is seen as progressive.
Robert Richter KC, it seems you are suggesting that a Zionist, supporting Israel's existence, has additional obligations to qualify their support with further explanation of other views that they hold about Israel's current government and recent decisions made. Do we stop there? Should we go back to views the Zionist held of Golda Meir, and what did they think of Sharon? Is this something we need to codify so you and others know how close to stand to us? And if that qualification is not made, how far does the entitlement go to make assumptions about what else the Zionist believes - and how far one should be discriminated against as a Zionist? I don't agree with you. There are Zionists who hold sound opinions and there Zionists who don't, from my perspective, but unless I have a basis, ie. evidence, to judge, I don't have a right to judge. And, I never I have a right to discriminate - were there any other groups you feel should also be required to submit a full description of their political views?
On a related note, some on this thread might be interested to learn that the Australian Bureau of Statistics have a consultation closing 16/5/25 on the classifications for Cultural and Ethnic groups in Australia (sorry for late notice but you can make submissions here and it is quite quick and easy - https://consult.abs.gov.au/statistical-standards-and-infrastructure/2025-minor-review-of-the-australian-standard-class/). The issue many Australian Jews may not be aware of is that we are all categorised into a geographical group originating from North Africa, so any European ties you may feel exists in your heritage is not classifiable according to ABS. I found this extraordinary when other groups that have existed for barely 100 years are listed. No distinction between Sephardi and Ashkenazi, no recognition of the Eastern European experience that most Jews in Australia associate with. This, to me, is another way the system denies the Australian Jewish identity.
Sorry Michael, I got side-tracked, but I can't say much of what you wrote made be happy beyond that you wrote it, though I will thank you for that all the same.
a very sad and confronting reflection of the reality Australian Jews are facing.
The only point I’d question is the comparison to Sabsabi. His removal wasn’t about political expression alone. it was about his past glorification of extremist figures and events. That crosses from art into hate, and shouldn’t be equated with a Jewish artist being punished simply for affirming Israel’s right to exist.
I find MG's tolerance for Sabsabi "noble beyond reason". Would people on his side of the argument return the favour and argue for a pro-Zionist voice to be platformed?
Nobility without honesty is hollow. What you call “noble” overlooks the very point I raised
That Sabsabi’s work included glorifying hateful ideologies, not just expressing a political view. To equate that with a Jewish artist cancelled for simply affirming Israel’s right to exist is deeply dishonest.
And you’re right to ask “would that same generosity ever be extended” to a pro-Zionist voice? Sadly, we both know the answer.
I am a member of my local interfaith forum. Last month's topic was what the three main faiths are doing for the planet. Instead of approaching me for a speaker, as one of Hastings Jewish Community, they invited a Far Left woman expelled by the Labour Party for antisemitism, and member of Pro-Pal, hate-Israel splinter groups. She used her speech to denigrate Israel. I have written two letters of complaint to the forum. After her speech, I stood up to challenge her, stating I was a Zionist, with a different Jewish opinion. A "UN end-war supporter then accused me of promulgating war!
That is part of the appalling campaign by the benighted seeking to equate those, who like me, want The state of Israel to survive but also excrete the Kahanist/messianic government which is not bound by the Israeli Declaration of Independence or the conflation of Jew with Israeli so that - as is Netanyahu’s and his government wish - to cancel Jews as non Jews unless they are prepared to accept what has been happening since the first cease fire as anything but escalating war crimes.
I have no problem with an artist or writer or public persona identifying as Zionists seeking a two state solution as long as they also acknowledge in their utterances that what is presently happening is criminal and is “ not in our name”. Robert Richter KC
Robert, you have no problem with people who identify as Zionists as long as they
meet some test that you set. That is very problematic. To say the least. But many leftists do have a problem with anyone just being a Zionist whether they are for a two state solution or not. No nuance there. Many antizionists have a problem with Jews unless you disavow any support for Israel’s existence. You know that don’t you?
The persistent problem with those who disagree with the decisions made by Israel's series of democratically elected governments is that they can't seem to understand what a country under constant declared and undeclared war must do in order to keep surviving. The end point of such arguments is always the annihilation of a people whose global population has only just reached pre-WW2 numbers. They can't lose even once. They must defend.
Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, has to eliminate each one of the hate-fuelled terrorist entities that continually attack it and use civilians as human shields in order to excite those in the West that have been proselytised by both far right and far left. Disagreeing with Netanyahu's methods is useful only in so far as it doesn't end with Israeli citizens being massacred yet again.
When you're dealing with psychopaths who throw their own children into the line of fire and hide behind them, how on earth are you to defend yourself? Think of it: the only reason at base that so-called anti-Zionists object to the existence of Israel is that it is a Jewish state. They ignore the fact that Israel includes all other religions and ethnicities as citizens – again the salient difference between it and the large countries surrounding it, which have systematically purged and murdered Jews, Christians, Druze and non-fundamentalist Muslims.
And to accuse Israel of 'genocide' is DARVO of the deepest dye, when its forces continually strive to spare civilians, much to their military disadvantage. (NB the Hamas Charter explicitly calls for the elimination, not merely of Israel, but every Jew in the world.)
All this, from a small, diverse, democratic country that is smaller than Anna Creek cattle station, is to my mind, indicative of how very much we Gentiles owe to Jewish thought and moral example over the ages. Sorry to go on for so long. But everything I say is easily verified for anyone who cares to look just a little beyond the antisemitic curation that our public discourse is now subjected to.
Let’s be honest. your language isn’t about seeking peace or accountability. It’s about pushing a narrative. You present yourself as someone who wants Israel to survive, yet everything you say points to a deep hostility toward the very idea of Jewish self-determination.
This isn’t constructive criticism. It’s the familiar voice of the anti-Zionist Jew - cloaked in legal phrasing and moral posturing, but ultimately aiming to delegitimise Israel, isolate those who support it, and give cover to those who seek its dismantling.
When you set impossible standards, demanding that Jews disavow Israel or be seen as complicit you’re not promoting justice. You’re helping those who want to erase Israel’s legitimacy, and you’re doing it with the authority of your name and title.
That’s not principle. That’s an agenda.
I hope one day you reflect on the harm this causes -not just to Israel, but to the Australia Jewish community who are increasingly being told they must apologise for existing.
What an excellent analysis of the current situation . Jews are being excluded from parts of society and gaslit when they raise it. As with some of the October 7 commentary - either it didn’t happen or they had it coming .
As usual an informative and balanced analysis of current events. The Media has much to answer for: first, the non-reporting if significant events, and second the subjective reporting of selected events. This essay/article is an example of the best journalism. It no longer exists in Australia. I think that the moment degrees were introduced into the world of journalism, and tertiary institutions took over training would-be journalists the standard of the fourth estate tumbled. We reap what we sow- a fractured,ill-informed and cowed society.
I'm not Jewish. I utterly support the Jewish people, whether here or around the world, and especially in Israel, where that tiny piece of land is under constant attack for no other reason than that it is a Jewish state. I'm horrified by the antisemitism that I've been seeing among friends and family: all of them Labor voters, union members, self-described believers in social justice. All I know now is that I can't vote for any party that condones or turns a blind eye to this toxic mind fungus. There may have been a Labor landslide, but for the first time in my life I voted neither Labor nor Green. And I don't know when I can ever trust the left again. In the meantime, Michael Gawenda, I stand with you and with the Jewish people and with Israel.
Thank you Juliette. I'm very pleased that you are reading my substack. People like you make writing it worthwhile.
Brilliant and very upsetting
To answer the question: What does JB's recapitulated victory mean for the artists who can't get platformed?
It means that the end-audience is not the problem here, their patronage and demand for whichever artists they enjoy is just fine - the problem is with the middle-man. The galleries, venues, festivals are the gatekeepers who are cowering before the hecklers' veto of an aggressive activist class. This is a very similar phenomenon to the fight gender critical feminists had to fight against.
Completely agree, the audience isn’t the issue, it’s the gatekeepers.
Take Louise Adler and the Adelaide Writers’ Festival - she gave space to speakers who praised terrorism, while sidelining Jewish voices as “too Zionist.” This more than bias, it’s the result of deliberate infiltration by Islamist, far-left, and antisemitic actors who’ve embedded themselves in cultural institutions, grant bodies, and venues. They’re enforcing ideological purity tests where supporting Israel’s existence gets you blacklisted, but glorifying Hezbollah is seen as progressive.
Robert Richter KC, it seems you are suggesting that a Zionist, supporting Israel's existence, has additional obligations to qualify their support with further explanation of other views that they hold about Israel's current government and recent decisions made. Do we stop there? Should we go back to views the Zionist held of Golda Meir, and what did they think of Sharon? Is this something we need to codify so you and others know how close to stand to us? And if that qualification is not made, how far does the entitlement go to make assumptions about what else the Zionist believes - and how far one should be discriminated against as a Zionist? I don't agree with you. There are Zionists who hold sound opinions and there Zionists who don't, from my perspective, but unless I have a basis, ie. evidence, to judge, I don't have a right to judge. And, I never I have a right to discriminate - were there any other groups you feel should also be required to submit a full description of their political views?
On a related note, some on this thread might be interested to learn that the Australian Bureau of Statistics have a consultation closing 16/5/25 on the classifications for Cultural and Ethnic groups in Australia (sorry for late notice but you can make submissions here and it is quite quick and easy - https://consult.abs.gov.au/statistical-standards-and-infrastructure/2025-minor-review-of-the-australian-standard-class/). The issue many Australian Jews may not be aware of is that we are all categorised into a geographical group originating from North Africa, so any European ties you may feel exists in your heritage is not classifiable according to ABS. I found this extraordinary when other groups that have existed for barely 100 years are listed. No distinction between Sephardi and Ashkenazi, no recognition of the Eastern European experience that most Jews in Australia associate with. This, to me, is another way the system denies the Australian Jewish identity.
Sorry Michael, I got side-tracked, but I can't say much of what you wrote made be happy beyond that you wrote it, though I will thank you for that all the same.
Great article Michael.
However we get to become too intellectual about all this. The paradigms of hate are very old.
Today’s anti-Jews are rooted in all the anti Jewish movements of the past Russian German and Muslim. We are left with the support of good people.
Thanks for sharing, Michael
a very sad and confronting reflection of the reality Australian Jews are facing.
The only point I’d question is the comparison to Sabsabi. His removal wasn’t about political expression alone. it was about his past glorification of extremist figures and events. That crosses from art into hate, and shouldn’t be equated with a Jewish artist being punished simply for affirming Israel’s right to exist.
I find MG's tolerance for Sabsabi "noble beyond reason". Would people on his side of the argument return the favour and argue for a pro-Zionist voice to be platformed?
Nobility without honesty is hollow. What you call “noble” overlooks the very point I raised
That Sabsabi’s work included glorifying hateful ideologies, not just expressing a political view. To equate that with a Jewish artist cancelled for simply affirming Israel’s right to exist is deeply dishonest.
And you’re right to ask “would that same generosity ever be extended” to a pro-Zionist voice? Sadly, we both know the answer.
I am a member of my local interfaith forum. Last month's topic was what the three main faiths are doing for the planet. Instead of approaching me for a speaker, as one of Hastings Jewish Community, they invited a Far Left woman expelled by the Labour Party for antisemitism, and member of Pro-Pal, hate-Israel splinter groups. She used her speech to denigrate Israel. I have written two letters of complaint to the forum. After her speech, I stood up to challenge her, stating I was a Zionist, with a different Jewish opinion. A "UN end-war supporter then accused me of promulgating war!
That is part of the appalling campaign by the benighted seeking to equate those, who like me, want The state of Israel to survive but also excrete the Kahanist/messianic government which is not bound by the Israeli Declaration of Independence or the conflation of Jew with Israeli so that - as is Netanyahu’s and his government wish - to cancel Jews as non Jews unless they are prepared to accept what has been happening since the first cease fire as anything but escalating war crimes.
I have no problem with an artist or writer or public persona identifying as Zionists seeking a two state solution as long as they also acknowledge in their utterances that what is presently happening is criminal and is “ not in our name”. Robert Richter KC
Robert, you have no problem with people who identify as Zionists as long as they
meet some test that you set. That is very problematic. To say the least. But many leftists do have a problem with anyone just being a Zionist whether they are for a two state solution or not. No nuance there. Many antizionists have a problem with Jews unless you disavow any support for Israel’s existence. You know that don’t you?
The persistent problem with those who disagree with the decisions made by Israel's series of democratically elected governments is that they can't seem to understand what a country under constant declared and undeclared war must do in order to keep surviving. The end point of such arguments is always the annihilation of a people whose global population has only just reached pre-WW2 numbers. They can't lose even once. They must defend.
Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, has to eliminate each one of the hate-fuelled terrorist entities that continually attack it and use civilians as human shields in order to excite those in the West that have been proselytised by both far right and far left. Disagreeing with Netanyahu's methods is useful only in so far as it doesn't end with Israeli citizens being massacred yet again.
When you're dealing with psychopaths who throw their own children into the line of fire and hide behind them, how on earth are you to defend yourself? Think of it: the only reason at base that so-called anti-Zionists object to the existence of Israel is that it is a Jewish state. They ignore the fact that Israel includes all other religions and ethnicities as citizens – again the salient difference between it and the large countries surrounding it, which have systematically purged and murdered Jews, Christians, Druze and non-fundamentalist Muslims.
And to accuse Israel of 'genocide' is DARVO of the deepest dye, when its forces continually strive to spare civilians, much to their military disadvantage. (NB the Hamas Charter explicitly calls for the elimination, not merely of Israel, but every Jew in the world.)
All this, from a small, diverse, democratic country that is smaller than Anna Creek cattle station, is to my mind, indicative of how very much we Gentiles owe to Jewish thought and moral example over the ages. Sorry to go on for so long. But everything I say is easily verified for anyone who cares to look just a little beyond the antisemitic curation that our public discourse is now subjected to.
Robert,
Let’s be honest. your language isn’t about seeking peace or accountability. It’s about pushing a narrative. You present yourself as someone who wants Israel to survive, yet everything you say points to a deep hostility toward the very idea of Jewish self-determination.
This isn’t constructive criticism. It’s the familiar voice of the anti-Zionist Jew - cloaked in legal phrasing and moral posturing, but ultimately aiming to delegitimise Israel, isolate those who support it, and give cover to those who seek its dismantling.
When you set impossible standards, demanding that Jews disavow Israel or be seen as complicit you’re not promoting justice. You’re helping those who want to erase Israel’s legitimacy, and you’re doing it with the authority of your name and title.
That’s not principle. That’s an agenda.
I hope one day you reflect on the harm this causes -not just to Israel, but to the Australia Jewish community who are increasingly being told they must apologise for existing.