Published: 25 February 2025
Last updated: 25 February 2025
A full-page advertisement proclaiming “Jewish Australians say NO to ethnic cleansing” appeared in today’s Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Signed by more than 500 Jewish Australians, the advertisement was designed to demonstrate Jewish opposition to the proposal by US President Donald Trump to forcibly transfer Gaza’s two million residents to Egypt and/or Jordan.
Among the signatories are the founder of health peacebuilding organisation Ron Finkel, barrister Robert Richter KC, academic Dennis Altman, prominent lawyers Josh Bornstein and David Heilpern, journalist Jenna Price, musician Ben Lee, doctor Alex Wodak, and writer Anna Fienberg.
One of the organisers Corinne Fagueret, from Australian Jewish Women 4 Peace Action Ready Group, said many Jews wanted to speak out and show their compassion for Palestinians, understanding that it is necessary to care about both the suffering of Palestinians and Israelis. She said more people had wanted to sign the advertisement than there was space to include.
“Jews have a very specific experience that’s in our genes and in our family history of racism and ethnic violence. For this reason, we have a moral obligation to speak out about what is happening in Gaza and Trump’s plan for the ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip.
“We must speak out wherever there is ethnic violence happening. At the moment, it’s about Palestinians and it’s about standing in solidarity with Palestinians. That doesn’t mean we don’t feel the suffering of Israelis and of the hostages and the hostage families. We can feel compassion for both sides and that doesn’t mean we are less Jewish.”
Fagueret said in addition to the moral compulsion on Jews to speak out, they should realise that a just solution for Palestinians was in the interests of Israelis. “Peace for Israelis is intertwined with a just peace for Palestinians. There can be no peace for Israel unless there is a just peace for Palestinians, and I think it’s really important to realise that, as Jews.”
Ron Finkel, founder and chair of Rozana International said Australians had an obligation to stand up against the US proposal.
“Australia must reject Trump’s plan because it flies in the face of the legitimate rights of Palestinians to self-determination. It is deeply unjust and will never lead to the peace and security to which Palestinians and Israelis aspire – quite the opposite.
“Australia needs to lend its full support to the emerging proposals promoted by Egypt and other countries in the region – a “Marshall Plan” for Gaza which has the full backing of the UN. This approach worked in Cambodia in 1991, where Australia played a vital role.”
Comments16
John-Janusz Ebel28 February at 04:46 am
Phillip Mendes: DO you support the mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank?
As you are well aware, I am the son of Holocaust survivors and consider the duty of all righteous Jews to oppose the horror we have been all witnessing by Netanyahu’s government which bears close similarity to other regimes responsible for genocides.
I hope you are differentiating yourself from Ben-Gevir, Smotrich and Netanyahu who have been indicted by the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
Deborah Stone27 February at 02:19 pm
TJI Philip! Two grooups involved were Emet and Jewish Women 4 Peace.
Rachel Sussman27 February at 08:19 am
unfortunately, there is a discrepancy with this list.
I saw this petition advertised as an expression objecting any FORCEFUL displacement of the people of Gaza, and I agree. I object to any person living in Gaza (unless a terrorist) being forced to leave, it is wrong… And so I signed… Then the list was advertised as Jews ‘objection to Trump relocation plan’, the word ‘forceful removal’ was not even mentioned…
Allowing this false advertising of the petition to begin with, I actually signed something I would not have signed if its true intention was rightfully expressed from the beginning…. I wonder how many who signed this petition were caught just like me…. I find it deceitful! …. But what is done, is done…
To be clear, I do not object to Trump’s plan, the people of Gaza should be offered choices – to leave or stay… Trump does not speak about ‘forceful removal’…
philip mendes27 February at 01:32 am
I’m curious whether Plus 61J or any readers know which groups or individuals were responsible for coordinating this petition. That may tell us a lot about the core agenda and motive.
stephen lenn26 February at 01:15 am
Was Russia boycotted by “Creative Australia” ?
Allan26 February at 12:10 am
This letter makes absolutely no sense to me. It responds to yet another piece of absurdity from Trump, from which he has retreated because there is little or no support for this idea,. Who is the letter targeted at? Who are the signatories trying to persuade? And what are they trying to persuade them about? This letter should have been posted on an Israeli newspaper. Then perhaps many more people would have signed it.
Guy Abrahams25 February at 11:29 am
Your claim that Sasabi’s ‘work appears to celebrate terrorism and that he ‘makes images invoking Lebanese terrorism’ is unsupported by any analysis of his work, other than your repetition of other uninformed comments.
The push to boycott the Israeli pavilion in 2024 was an action aimed at Israel because of its actions in Gaza. In the same way Russia is boycotted in various forums because of its actions in Ukraine.
Whether or not your accusations of ‘hypocrisy’ have any validity, they have no bearing on the central argument of the letter (to which I am a signatory) regarding Creative Australia’s decision making process in this case.
Wesley Parish25 February at 09:07 am
I tend to agree with Abraham as presented in the story in Bereshit/Genesis, when he begs G_d not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if there are righteous people there, and bargains down to as few as five righteous people. Or with the G_d presented in the story of Jonah, who rebukes Jonah for feeling sorry for himself and his plant when he feels no sympathy for the thousands of children who would’ve lost their lives if Nineveh (in the story) hadn’t repented.
Alan Freedman25 February at 09:03 am
If Gazans are offered a choice and a decide to leave, is that still ethnic cleansing?
Raf25 February at 08:40 am
Once again another example of disappointing journalism by TJI. The ad stating that Trump’s plan is ethnic cleansing is there for everyone to see, yet TJI elects for the the word ‘transfer’ in the headline. Israel historically has used the langauge of ‘transfer’ as a euphemism for ethnic cleansing, including the Nakba. This softening of language is a form of dishonesty, and TJI has followed in suit.
Every journalist will have read Orwell’s 1946 essay, “Politics and the English Language”, where he laments this exact phenomenon. Yet, TJI once again fails in its duty to deploy language with integrity and accuracy. As Orwell writes, it is this negligence that obscures the truth, so that “lies sound truthful and murder respectable”. Transfer sounds much nicer than ethnic cleansing
Suzanne Wolf25 February at 07:49 am
I don’t support ethnic cleansing and most people don’t, but I wouldn’t sign a petition in the newspaper for Jews! This is disgustingly divisive. And who was asked to sign? many signatories are also on the Jewish Council.
Brendan Craig25 February at 06:58 am
So if you try the maths, about 0.4 % of Australian Jews think this is a worthwhile sentiment. Or 1 person out of 250 people. you can find 1 person out of 250 to believe just about anything! A great many more think Humans and dinosaurs co-existed. a great many more believe the earth is only thousands of years old. Not everyone cares to know or understand the role of facts in formulating ideas.
Larry Stillman25 February at 06:27 am
Given that a number of signatories are well within the Zionist camp, the Hamas claim is risable.
David Milston25 February at 06:13 am
Hamas is without doubt cruel, evil and hateful. It deserves no sympathy, but there are many Jews (including me) who would not support the crime of ethnic cleansing to be perpetrated on 2.1 million Palestinians. One crime does not justify another.
PHIL LEVY25 February at 06:12 am
No mention of the 63 remaining hostages or the 1400 slaughtered on October 7?
stephen lenn25 February at 03:57 am
Not one mention of Hamas who, for 18 years built nothing and stole everything from the people of Gaza
This statement is not about Trump it is about Israel and its about useful “creative” idiots support for Jihadist death cults who care nothing for Palestinians welfare. kind of shameful