There's integration for you: born in Australia, he is a Palestinian man. I was born and raised in Australia, and I am Australian, not an Anglo Saxon Australian. You hang onto ancestry, you hang on to the junk that isn't Australian.

If the NSW government had the courage, all of the thugs who occupied the bridge would be prosecuted under the NSW Criminal Act: starting with those waving terrorist flags.

This man supports terrorism. Apart from which, as an Australian, Palestine (no such place really) is none of his business. Australia is not involved.

The iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge was used to insult us, and beam across the world how weak Australia is.

Kindness was “paramount”. What rubbish! The “no shift” in resolve is all with Israel, not a bunch of activists thousands of kilometres from the action who are totally deluded if they think terror and big mouths are going to make a difference to Israel's defending itself from terrorism.

This particular activist is right on one point. The Australian government does not represent his sort. It is there to represent Australia and decent Australians, not his rabble, not even Israel, whose PM has just accused Australia of being “shameful” for allowing antisemitic, anti- Israeli supporters to display their hatred to the world using, illegally, an Australian icon. We should be ashamed.

PS:

Recognition of Palestine by France, Britain, Canada and Australia will have very little effect on Israel because diplomatic and security relationships between them and Israel are pretty much kaput.

That day on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the only Australian walking across would have been a handful of Police officers & some coppers !

We should be ashamed.
ttbn,
You'd find that 99% of Australians are & also greatly dismayed !

Thank you Graham Young for unearthing for us another cynical Middle Eastern terrorist intent on destroying his over generous host Country, Australia.
“A pox on his Mosk”, could be the heading of a succinct and poignant reply to his clap-trap.

I am ashamed of both the Liberal and Labor parties for not coming out in support of the Palestinian cause. When Lord Balfour sent UK governments Declaration to Baron von Rothschild, the latter agreed that all non Jews would be treated the same as the Jews. Instead, the Jewish governments of all persuasions have treated their Arab citizens like dirt and are still stealing their land on the West Bank. Now they are trying to starve them out of existence. Netanyahu is a war criminal in the determination of the Court in The Hague. Why have our leaders failed to condemn him.
David

And speaking of clap-trap, here’s Dave bumping in with his words of wisdom and his Hamas flag of recognition for the good guys of the ME.

Or…

Anyone on for a tune played on the Qatar?

Dave will oblige…take it away Dave!

This protest was not some outpouring of well-meaning humanitarianism. There were chants of “death to the IDF”, and posters sporting photos of the murderous islamofascist Khamenei and the genocidal slogan “from the river to the sea”.

The irony is that these protesters in effect support a regime which tortures and murders anyone brave enough to protest against it.

The author parrots the slogan “there is no pride in genocide”. Perhaps he could explain that to Hamas, which committed genocidal acts on 7 October, and has an explicit agenda of murdering Jews and destroying Israel. Or Hamas’ puppet-masters in Iran, who have repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel. But of course this was not mentioned, nor the rapes, mutilations and murders committed by Hamas, nor its ongoing war crime in retaining the hostages which is the most important reason why this ghastly conflict is still going on.

I’m not willing or able to “bridge differences” with the ideology on display in this piece.

Albanese has finally announced today that Australia WILL recognise a state called Palestine. The ridiculous man does not seem to realise that something has to actually exist to be recognised, and neither Israel nor Hamas, or the PA want two states, the Arabs really looking forward to removing Israel from the map.

How on Earth did even the Labor Party get to have such a bozo to muck up their party as well as the country.

I support an eventual two-state solution but also agree with ttbn that Palestine in no way resembles an actual state, and wishful thinking will not make it one. Premature recognition of the “state” of Palestine makes an ultimate two-state solution less, not more, likely; especially of it does not entail mutual recognition by both Israel and Palestine.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently commented that France’s declared plan to unilaterally recognise Palestine has prolonged the conflict. Hamas sees it as a huge victory, and has walked away from what had been moderately successful peace negotiations because it sees the opportunity to make further demands on Israel. I’m not normally one to quote officials of the Trump administration, but the logic of his argument and evidence seem fairy persuasive.

Albanese’s move to follow suit is a serious mistake.

Society would be so much better without religion. Having faith is a good thing if it can be kept away from religion. However, we're now entering the era when we have noting to have faith in, Governments in particular.
The march for Palestine is doing nothing more then display the number of morons in our society.
If Palestinians & Jews in Australia are so passionate as they think they are then why for crying out loud are they here ? They could have all their conflicts back home instead of giving us the $hits with it !

Australia, one country, one flag and if you support another flag go to that country. Enough of this garbage of burning our flag, waving flags of other countries, they should all be on the first plane out of the country including all relatives. We are too soft with these people and clown Albonese goes along with it together with non elected judges.

Rhian,

This article is a pretty average one, simply providing a basic overview of a protest we already know about.

Regardless, at any protest like this one you will get a broad cross section of people there - and it's not really something the organisers can manage at the end of the day.

The reality is though people going on about "River to the Sea" and the like is now all old and tired with no meaning, particularly with the current situation between Israel and Gaza going on for far too long.

Many people, including myself have had enough of the lack of action from world leaders on this issue - particularly Israel.

Those protesting and some putting out what some would call out of line comments aren't really the issue here. Their token chants are just tired rhetoric from people who have had enough - and I don't totally blame them. They are not the problem.

<<There were chants of....posters... and... perhaps the author could explain...

Once again, we are going over the same, old tired rhetoric.

Some of these words/things may have had meaning at one stage and really are now nothing more but throw away lines.

All people should be doing is calling for the Israeli President to step down from his role with the aim to see an end the current war in terms of Israel and Gaza - and move on.

<<I’m not willing or able to “bridge differences” with.... >>

We'll maybe it's time we all tried to, to get better outcomes and dropped the throw away lines and rhetoric. This of course applies to all sides.

NathanJ,

I accept that there may have been a broad range of views on the march, and the organisers cannot necessarily control all of what happens. But that is not the impression the author gives. My main objection is not that the marchers included advocates of genocide and Islamofascism – that has become commonplace – but Wasim’s portrayal of them comprising entirely warm-hearted peaceniks – “We, the protesters, were the personification of cohesion and acceptance” and “There was kindness paramount”. That is clearly not true.

His most chilling – and telling – comment is: “Every group was represented across faiths, races, politics and any other identity. The exception, of course, was Zionists.” There are lots of people who support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state – the standard definition of a “Zionist” – while being opposed to the Israeli Government’s recent actions in Gaza and often to its earlier policies in e.g. the West Bank.

There can be no two-state solution that denies the right of Israel to exist