Published: 10 November 2023
Last updated: 5 March 2024
Nasser Mashni said Israel is 'the domino' of world's power structures; tension in ABC over language used to report Israel's Gaza offensive; Sydney Uni bans pro-Palestinian meeting.
Australian Palestinian Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni made the remarks about Israel at various times over this year and last year on Melbourne radio station 3CR.
Mashni, a property developer and donor to the Greens, has helped organise pro-Palestine rallies since Israel began its attack on Gaza that Hamas says has killed more than 10,000 people.
On his radio show in July last year, Mashni said: “The power structures that exist in the world all focus upon Zionism. Israel is the domino. Israel falls over, not just the Middle East – South America, the Africans, the world is a far better place once we destroy Western imperialist control of the world.”
“The liberation of Earth starts with the first domino, and that’s the overcoming and the decolonisation of Palestine and the ending of Zionism.”
The war has also caused tension within the ABC. More than 200 ABC journalists met for a mass meeting on Wednesday about the broadcaster’s coverage of the war in Gaza, with a number of grievances raised leading to a possible shift in how the conflict is reported on.
A key issue raised by staff related to the language used to describe elements of the conflict. Journalists argued that the ABC’s coverage of Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza was too heavily reliant on the talking points of the Israel Defence Forces.
They also raised concerns around the ABC’s unwillingness to use language such as “invasion”, “occupation”, “genocide”, “apartheid” and “ethnic cleansing” regarding Israeli government policy and allegations made by human rights groups.
The Gaza conflict is also testing the limits of freedom of speech on campus after Sydney University warned that it won’t tolerate support of Hamas’ attack and the vice chancellor moved to ban a pro-Palestinian student meeting, dividing opinion among academics.
Jewish groups have welcomed the approach and have urged other universities to follow its lead, saying it’s calmed tensions on campus.
Sydney University vice chancellor Mark Scott wrote to staff and students on October 26, in what was a marked shift from previous communications on the war, saying the institution “will not tolerate any pro-terrorist statements or commentary, including support for Hamas’s recent terrorist attacks”.
Last week, Scott also moved to shut down a planned student meeting titled “Palestine: the case for a global intifada”, saying it could be reasonably interpreted as supporting terrorism based on its promotional posters.
The action has prompted anger from some academics and students who say the university has shown an anti-Palestinian bias.
READ MORE
Top Australian Palestinian slammed for radio comments on destruction of Israel (SMH)
Australia’s top Palestinian spokesman has advocated for the destruction of the Israeli state and claimed the world’s power structures “all focus upon Zionism”.
ABC journalists criticise broadcaster’s coverage of Gaza invasion (SMH)
More than 200 ABC journalists participated in a mass meeting about the public broadcaster’s coverage of the war in Gaza, with a number of grievances raised leading to a possible shift in how the conflict is reported on, according to several people who attended.
War in Gaza tests free speech limits at Sydney University (SMH)
The Gaza conflict is testing the limits of freedom of speech on campus after Sydney University warned that it won’t tolerate support of Hamas’ attack and the vice chancellor moved to ban a pro-Palestinian student meeting, dividing opinion among academics.
Photo: Nasser Mashni (Justin McManus/SMH)
