Gaza protests and the danger to democracy

Alexander Downer’s article asserts that every pro-Palestinian protester must be antisemitic. But Downer fails to distinguish between the interests of ordinary Palestinian citizens in Gaza and the agenda of Hamas, the theological extremists who perpetrated the horrors of October 7 in Israel.

Hamas was elected to run the Palestinian Authority 17 years ago for the sole reason that the incumbent Fatah was corrupt and inept. There has been no further election, and with the monetary and military support of Iran, Hamas has ruled Gaza with an iron fist. All protest is brutally quashed and the Palestinian citizens live in fear. Hamas declared in 2017 that its goal was to destroy Israel.

Downer has erroneously conflated the evil Hamas agenda with the basic human need of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza to live in a safe environment. It is nonsense to denounce protesters seeking to stop the killing of non-combatant Palestinian men, women and children by Israel as reprehensible supporters of Hamas. You can (and arguably should) support the Gaza trifecta of being pro-Israel, pro-Palestinian and anti-Hamas.

Derek Norquay, Pelican Waters, Qld

Simplistic views on a complex issue

So the “Oracle from Adelaide” is at it again. Former Australian foreign minister and expert on everything, Alexander Downer, admonishing us for not foreseeing what he so clearly foresaw once Israel declared war on Hamas following the slaughter of Israeli citizens on October 7.

But as with most things written by Downer, his views are simplistic and contemptible in their attempt to place all responsibility for the rise in global antisemitism on the “activist political left”. Downer’s entrenched political bias won’t surprise anyone, but his article is packed with simplistic views on a matter so complex that no one has come close to resolving it since Israel rightfully achieved statehood in 1948.

Your readers are surely entitled to a less polemical, more fact-based and nuanced analysis of this most troubling issue.

Ralph McHenry, Brighton East, Vic

The trouble with civilian targets

Andrew Tillett analysed the distinction between military and civilian targets (“When attacking a hospital is legal and when it’s not”, November 17). An IDF soldier is honour-bound to carry out all legal orders.

H.L. Mencken held that conscience is the inner voice that warns us that somebody may be looking. Some actions in war are morally intolerable – for example, killing non-combatants and innocent civilians under medical care.

Soldiers also know that orders may be unlawful or immoral, and that it is not always one’s duty to obey them. It would be a brave soldier who would agonise about not returning fire when engaged by an enemy from a hospital. The psychology of self-preservation would inform any decision.

Mike Fogarty, Weston, ACT

Does the pride help feed the prejudice?

Eva Fried (Letters, November 17) raises the important question of why so many people hate Jews. After listing all the accomplishments of Jews, she says the “Jewish people have long believed that it is their responsibility as the Chosen People to fight against inequality and injustice in the world”.

Hmmm. I wonder if the conceit that you are God’s Chosen People just might be a part of the answer to the question.

Allen Greer, Sydney, NSW

Difference between laws and legislation

Laura Tingle concluded her weekend column (November 18-19) with “[it] was a dark day for the way we make laws in Australia”. This was in reference to the hurried action in parliament last week over the released “hardened criminals”. In fact, the parliamentary action last week was quite a good exemplar of the way we make legislation in Australia.

As pointed out by F.A. Hayek decades ago, laws are different from legislation. Parliament makes legislation rather than laws, often in a shambolic process. Laws are made by the people through generally accepted principles that developed over generations, frequently with a nod towards religious commandments. There was a law among all people of all countries against murder, for example, long before it existed in any legislative statute. The distinction is not a quibble. It is fundamental to civil society and a limit on government power.

David McNeice, Balwyn North, Vic

Types of mining: a critical distinction

It’s great to have your editorial on fossil fuels and clean energy (“Sharpen up for net zero”, November 20). However, I want to make two points.

First, we must distinguish clearly between mining fossil fuels and mining critical minerals. We need far less of the former and far more of the latter to have any hope of staying below the 1.5 degrees heat limit. Second, you accept new fossil fuel mining plus carbon capture and storage. But a scientist such as the Climate Council’s Simon Bradshaw refers to “false solutions including offsets and carbon capture and storage”. CCS is unreliable, only minimally successful, and costly. The world is in a race against time to decarbonise speedily.

Barbara Fraser, Burwood, Vic

Greenwashing won’t reduce emissions

The construction of Chevron’s WA Gorgon carbon capture and storage facility commenced in 2009, with an estimated cost of $US55 billion, later increased by $15 billion. It started operating six years ago and is currently capturing a third of the volume of CO2 promised. Clearly that’s a huge investment for very little abatement. So the question arises: why keep doing it? (“Sharpen up for net zero”, November20.)

The Australia Institute’s answer is, “CCS is a scam that has been used by the coal and gas industries to con (usually willing) governments and populations into delaying climate action.” Can we please stop accepting this greenwash as a solution to our rising carbon emissions?

Lesley Walker, Northcote, Vic

Rogue electrons behind the Optus outage

The Senate inquiry into the Optus outage did not seem to show much brilliance in understanding the problem that no one knows what electrons will sometimes do in electronics.

The science is to get them to do as we direct, but that does not always work as there are unknown factors in electron and sub-particle activity along with electron particles generating fields with positive charged attractor force particles and repulsive negative charges that do not always do as directed by program controls.

Electrons will always have unknown reactive factors we cannot control but have to deal with, and there will always be unpredictable factors and problems beyond our best effort of control. It would appear Senator Sarah Hanson-Young needs to read a few books on computer electron forces, movements and functions. They need to stop blaming people for their own ignorance on such matters.

Kelly Bayer Rosmarin understood the factors involved, but others did not. Telstra has had its share of close calls, but being monolithic it has error bypass systems.

Gil May, Forestdale, Qld

Words ring hollow after silencing Voice

Since the Voice referendum, I listen to Acknowledgment of Country and Welcome to Country with an odd feeling. We hear or say we respect First Nations elders past, present and future, yet we voted to say we don’t want to hear them or listen to them. Strikes me as sad and shameful.

John Golden, Newport, NSW