If you knew Norman Rothfield or knew of him, his family would like to invite you 3.00pm, Sunday 4 July, St Kilda Town Hall, Brighton Rd St Kilda
An early RSVP to the family would be appreciated, either by email [email protected] or by phone to messagebank at 9482 5574.
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The AJDS deeply mourns the passing of Norman Rothfield, who died on 4 June aged 98. Among his many activities, he was a founding member and supporter of the Australian Jewish Democratic Society and an inspiration to all who knew him.
Norman’s 76 years of activism went back to the 1930s in the UK, where he was elected to local government at the Age of 22, and he was a member of many progressive organizations in Australia, including the Council Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism (President 1947), Paths to Peace, and Australian Friends of Peace Now. He was active in the anti-nuclear and the Vietnam peace movements and the Fabian Society.
A detailed obituary can be found in The Age.
Norman was interviewed at length by Phillip Adams of ABC Radio several years ago, and the interview can be played or downloaded via this link.
You can also see a brief video clip of him speaking on December 13 2009 at the AJDS Annual Dinner in response to Denis Altman on Youtube at about 6″25′ onwards.
Norman’s publications included:
The Trial of God-a Challenge to Conventional Thinking (1998)
Many Paths to Peace: The Political Memoirs of Norman Rothfield (1997)
Moshe Yaroni has written an excellent analysis and of the fallout for different parties, Israeli, the Free Gaza Movement, IHH, Hamas, Turkey, the US. In particular, he looks at the difficulties that Free Gaza Movement has by being associated with IHH and by implication with violence, in contrast to its charter. We need to overcome naivete.
1 June 2010
The terrible and deplorable deaths and injuries that occurred on board the Turkish flagged ship, the Mavi Marmara, one of a convoy of ships attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, are not only heartbreaking for the immediate families of the nine people killed and the many injured, but a tragedy for all people who yearn for a resolution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict.
1 June 2010
The terrible and deplorable deaths and injuries that occurred on board the Turkish flagged ship, the Mavi Marmara, one of a convoy of ships attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, are not only heartbreaking for the immediate families of the nine people killed and the many injured, but a tragedy for all people who yearn for a resolution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict.
Israel’s Kent State
By Moshe Yaroni
Having worked on the issue of Israel and its myriad conflicts for many years, one gets used to tragedy and even to stunningly abhorrent behavior. And indeed, I have seen more than enough of both from all sides in this conflict.
But every once in a while, things take a turn, and that turn is punctuated by a singular, stunning event. The murderous raid on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla this day was one such event
From Gush Shalom
This night a crime was perpetrated in the middle of the sea, by order of the government of Israel and the IDF Command. A warlike attack against aid ships and deadly shooting at peace and humanitarian aid activists. It is a crazy thing that only a government that crossed all red lines can do.
A number of AJDS members regularly blog their views and/or links to other sites on Facebook. See facebook posts.
By Steve Brook
[There is increasing evidence that antisemitic feeling is increasing globally. The fact that the Israeli-Palestinian crisis still remains unresolved is probably playing a major role in this…. More than 15 years ago, in its summer 1994 issue, the Australian Jewish Democrat published an article by Steve Brook titled “How Radio Gumleaf Won Through”, about the stormy first three years of Melbourne Community radio station 3CR. The article touched upon the accusations of antisemitism that were levelled at the station almost from its foundation in 1976. This is an extract.]
The South African Jewish community is as Zionist as they come, and its major newspaper, pretty conservative.
But this editorial is devastating for the Israel right or wrong crowd. At last, the message must be getting through–something is really rotten…
“It is now 43 years since the Six Day War, but the military victory has yet to be translated into the peace which seemed so logical: Israel would give back the conquered land, and the Palestinians would make peace – the “Land for Peace” formula. But it was not be. Israel is still in the West Bank and there is no genuine peace.
The bunker mentality or a truly democratic Israel
Peter Beinart’s essay in the New York Review of Books about the demise of liberal Zionism has caused has caused quite a stir.
Moshe Yaroni (a nom de plume) has continued the discussion on his blog, in which he says:
“Whether from a left or right wing Zionist tradition, the dividing line between the bunker mentality and the goal of making Israel a truly democratic society (something it has been much closer to being in the past but never fully attained) is what determines whether one will support Israel’s current suicidal course or work to steer it back toward the vision of its founders…They do not live in fear of a next Holocaust as their parents did, and if it does threaten to come about, they don’t believe Israel is going to be the only option… Israel’s insistence that it just needs better public relations campaigns is a dead-end”
The article is well worth a read.