From the editor:
We publish a selection of excerpts and links to today’s revelations.
From The Sydney Morning Herald:
“Former foreign minister Bob Carr has published private text messages between himself and Julia Gillard to reveal the “extraordinary” level of influence the pro-Israel lobby had on the former prime minister’s office.
In a remarkable disclosure of private conversations, Mr Carr said he chose to publish the text messages in his book – Diary of a Foreign Minister – without getting Ms Gillard’s permission, because to do so was in the national interest.
He also describes Israel’s former ambassador as “cunning” and reveals his fights with the self-described pro-Israel “falafel faction” in Labor’s caucus that includes Jewish MPs Mark Dreyfus and Michael Danby.”
From The Guardian:
“Former foreign minister Bob Carr has suggested Julia Gillard’s dogged insistence on supporting Israel in a controversial United Nations vote was because Australian foreign policy had been “subcontracted” to Jewish donors.”
From The Australian Financial Review:
““Our stance on the Middle East is shameful,” he writes in his diary of November 10, 2012.”
From The Guardian:
“Bob Carr accused of bigotry over diary claims of pro-Israeli foreign policy”
From abc.net.au:
“The national chairman of the Australia-Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, Mark Leibler, has rejected Mr Carr’s claims [of an all powerful Israel-lobby] as “a figment of his imagination.”"
From abc.net.au:
Danby “rubbishes” Carr’s claims.
From The Sydney Morning Herald:
“Bob Carr Defends Book Deal”
From News.com
“Diaries of A First Class Tosser”
From The Sydney Morning Herald:
Quoting Gore Vidal: “I cannot feel humble. Interested, curious, of course. Just not humble.”
A reader who wishes to remain anonymous asks: “If the Jewish/Zionist community really does have such great influence some politicians in Canberra, why is this being used only to forward a Likud agenda? I long for the day when this influence is also used to advocate for asylum seekers, GLBT Rights and action on Climate change. Surely these are issues of no less concern to the Jewish community in Australia.”
And finally, Ben Pobje satirises what he sees as Carr’s bloviating self -importance:
“Amazed by the mess left in the foreign minister’s office by Kevin. He has chewed almost every chair leg in the place, and the desk is full of Mexican walking fish. I can see I have a lot of work in front of me to turn this place around. Made a good start by gathering all the department staff together and singing them an aria from Tristan und Isolde. I think they got the message. Many were moved to tears. Later in the day went to the gym, where I challenged several young men to leg-lift races. They may never walk again.”
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We’d like to wish everyone a Chag Sameach. We’ll be taking a break over Pessach and will return after normal eating has recommenced.
