ADDRESS BY PHILIP CHESTER, PRESIDENT, ZIONIST FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA

CODE RED RALLY 18/11/12
PRINCES PARK, MAPLE ST., MELBOURNE

Members of Federal and State parliament, Rabbis, Communal leaders, Chaverim:

We gather here in huge numbers in our “Code Red Stop the Rockets” Solidarity Rally, to show our support for the people of Israel, many, many thousands of whom are in bomb shelters as the hundreds of Hamas rockets rain down on them from Gaza.

When, at 2.15 pm on Thursday, three days ago, we first started organising this rally, and the other rallies taking place today in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra,it was the people of Southern Israel that we were worried about.

Now, as we all know, the even more worrying range of these missiles has been illustrated, with attacks on Rishon LeZion, Tel Aviv and on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

My friends, Israel has been subjected to over 12,000 rockets in 12 years, thousands of which have been fired since Israel disengaged from Gaza and left the Palestinians there to rule their own people.

The purpose of these missiles cannot be to seek or defend territory that Hamas already controls, or in response to unprovoked Israeli aggression, as this has not occurred.

Rather, the intentions of this murderous terrorist regime that controls Gaza are clear: to try and terrorise the Israeli population in order to eventually destroy the State of Israel. This is what their charter says and this is what they constantly repeat in their public statements.

But they will never succeed, and we are here today to tell them that!

Although we are often dismayed with the world’s lack of understanding and support for Israel’s predicament, Australia’s political leadership got the point very clearly:

Prime Minister Julia Gillard stated:

“The Government condemns the repeated rocket and mortar attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip and calls on Hamas to cease these immediately. Australia supports Israel’s right to defend itself against these indiscriminate attacks. Such attacks on Israel’s civilian population are utterly unacceptable.”

Federal opposition leader, Tony Abbott declared:

“We of course regret the escalation of conflict, but Israel has every right to defend itself against the threat while continuing to take every effort to avoid civilian casualties.”

Both leaders also made it clear that the only way forward is a two State solution based on direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians which Israel has continually been calling for.

Our newspapers also showed a welcome appreciation of the dynamics of this conflict:
The Australian editorial read:

“Hamas has only itself to blame for the latest military strikes in Gaza and the sooner the international community accepts this, rather than indulging in another round of knee jerk condemnation of the Jewish State as an aggressor, the sooner an element of reality will return to Middle East peace efforts.”

Even the sometimes highly problematic Age conceded in its editorial:

“Israel cannot be expected to remain passive in the face of missiles fired across its borders. Nor can it expect to find a path to peace unless it negotiates. To negotiate there must be goodwill and credibility from the other side, qualities that the seriously unpredictable Hamas lacks. “

People ask what the point of solidarity rallies are.

First, it shows the Australian public that the Jewish community will always proudly and publicly stand by Israel in a time of need.

Second, it serves as an opportunity for us to come together as one motivated, Zionist community, to forget our political, ideological and religious differences and focus on what binds us, namely our commitment to the welfare of the people of Israel, which is much more than that which divides us.

In this regard, I will tell those of you who think that our younger generation is completely self absorbed in frivolous pursuit of their iPhones, Youtube and social media, that they have organised the whole media campaign for this rally, and the others around Australia, making the posters, slogans and placards, all devised by our best and brightest students and youth movement leaders, supported by our Israeli shlichim, (Israeli emissaries) who are also here in large numbers.

I also want to acknowledge the efforts of the youth movement leadership and their shlichim ( Israeli emissaries), who are working hard to ensure that our current Israel programs continue in a safe manner, as well as keeping parents informed about our children’s welfares.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, our rallies send a crucial message to the people of Israel, many of whom are currently feeling terrible stress, that we are with them.

I can tell you that they appreciate it.

Most of you have family and close friends in Israel. My eldest son, who recently completed his service in the Israeli airforce, is currently studying at Tel Aviv University, while at the same time wondering whether his unit will be called up to do their duty.

This cannot be easy.

The Israeli people are playing their part, dealing with the daily risks and pressures they are now facing.

Our task is very clear. To demonstrate our support for, and solidarity with Israel in every way we can, like we are doing here today, so that the people of Israel ,and indeed the entire world, will understand that we share their fears and loss, and also their hopes for peace.

We must continue to proclaim unambiguously over and over again, that we are Zionists who believe in the right of our people to a peaceful and secure State in our eternal homeland, Eretz Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael, not at the expense of the Palestinians, but rather in peaceful coexistence with them.

Thank you.