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Now two weeks on from the invasion of Hamas into Israel, and many months since Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the news reports have moved from the front pages of our papers. Have we become desensitised to the horrors of war? Life does go on here for Australians, with the celebratory nature of this time of year, however life has certainly become more dangerous for both Jews and Palestinians in Australia. The immense loss of life in war-torn countries can’t help but horrify us and our helplessness to make a difference in far-off countries, leaves us feeling impotent. However we can begin to make a difference at home as Australians offer peace and acceptance to all our citizens.
Julie Ottobre, Brunswick East

Things must change
The mass killings of civilians in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza suggests that human life is seen by some as a worthless commodity. The arms industry is seen as protecting us from such atrocities but perhaps better serves the interests of multinational entrepreneurs. Religion, too, serves to create an ″⁣us and them″⁣ mentality and be seen to be on the right side of God. Technology is outpacing our wisdom and the future looks grim. Let’s hope it is not too late for the world to unite in fighting against disease, for the environment and defeating poverty, of both body and mind. To continue with the present trend defies both sanity and decency.
Paul Murchison, Kingsbury

The solution is not more violence
There can be no justification for the actions of Hamas. I’m totally at a loss to understand that an increase in the senseless killing of civilians offers a solution? How is it that Israel can claim that its attacks on residential buildings and mosques are on the back of intelligence indicating that Hamas were using these premises to stage further attacks when its intelligence services were blindsided by the initial attack by Hamas? Violence is never a solution to violence. What is it that our global leaders simply do not understand? David Conolly, Brighton

The ripple effects of conflict
As the war in Gaza shows no signs of abating and the humanitarian situation spirals into a catastrophe, I must speak out on behalf of the civilians of Gaza. Having worked twice in Gaza, I am acutely aware of the ongoing human rights violations against Palestinians. As the IDF edges closer to a ground invasion, I believe we are facing a pivotal moment in history. There is nowhere for Gazans to hide. At their time in need, it appears that Palestinians are being abandoned by the West. Shame on the West for purporting to embody democratic values but not doing more to prevent the unfolding of this human tragedy. Violence on either side is unacceptable. However, unless we oppose this disproportionate response now, the ripple effects of this war will haunt us for years to come. Jennifer Jones, Maidstone

Hamas knew what it was doing
Let’s not equivocate over the clear moral imbalance between the evil that is Hamas and the nation state of Israel. Hamas and its supporters’ avowed intent has always been the destruction of Israel. Its savage and merciless attack on Israelis was calculated not only to cause immediate horror and suffering, but to force Israel’s hand to do just what that state is now doing. Hamas knew its incursion into Israel would cause death and destruction for Palestinians and inflame rage on their behalf. The only beneficiary is Hamas. However in forcing an existential war upon Israel and itself, a far wider array of peoples and nations will bear the consequences. For Hamas and its supporters death may be glorious martyrdom, and victory is taking as many with it as possible in cataclysmic destruction. For the rest of us this is sheer evil.
Deborah Morrison, Malvern East

FORUM

Negating the divide
Successive analyses of voting patterns for the referendum are pointing to a growing polarisation of our population based variously around residential location, education level or wealth. All three converge in the forbidden word ″⁣class″⁣.
Widening inequality and inter-generational advantage-disadvantage threaten Australia’s comparatively high level of social cohesion – arguably our greatest unacknowledged attribute, from an economic as well as social perspective. Proactive policy shifts to avoid further reinforcing this trend could be the nation’s best long-term investment opportunity.
Rod Duncan, Brunswick East

Teachers at the brink
The report in Good Weekend (21/10) about student behaviour in schools identifies a big reason behind our critical shortage of teachers. While we often point to pay and workload as the main factors, it is challenging student behaviour that is pushing many teachers to the brink.
As the report highlights, increasing numbers of students are presenting with complex behavioural issues leading to greater disruption in classrooms and a decline in teacher wellbeing. And the situation in schools may continue to get worse if we follow the advice presented by several of the experts in the article who promote a “one size fits all” solution to the student management problem.
While this method might work in some settings, in effect, it just places the burden back onto teachers and is too simplistic to properly deal with extreme behaviours. Teachers come in all shapes and sizes – not all will master classroom management but they might instead specialise in creating engaging curriculum, running extra-curricular activities or fostering relationships with at-risk students. Ultimately, the responsibility for addressing the decline in student behaviour is the responsibility of an entire school community – not just the teachers. We have to all accept responsibility and work together, or risk more good people leaving the profession.
Name and address supplied

Make schools safe
I am a mother to two boys who have attended our local high school in bayside Melbourne. Our eldest son experienced verbal abuse, threats of violence, physical assault and constant harassment and intimidation from a group of boys for years.
He was extremely reluctant to report this behaviour. First, because he was actually normalised to it – it was relentless. And second, because he learnt that reporting it only made it worse for him and that nothing changed.
The bullies’ anti-social and harmful behaviour continues and will continue to cause harm. The community would be shocked if they knew what was happening and would demand change. Please make schools safe. Don’t talk about it – do it.
Name and address supplied

Few of Hayden’s ilk
I have long held the view that politicians should be judged not by how long they have been in parliament but by how they contribute to making Australia a better and fairer place. As the architect of the national healthcare scheme, a pension for single mothers and dignified service as the governor-general, Bill Hayden was not only a wonderful politician but a great Australian.
Sadly, there seems to be few politicians of his ilk today.
Tim Douglas,
Blairgowrie

Whereto the Coalition?
Reading columnist Peter Hartcher (Comment, 21/10) it seems the Coalition’s way back into office is to trade in its previous blue ribbon seats of the leafy suburbs for seats in the outer suburbs and regions. But how?
Back in the days of climate change denialism Tony Abbott ousted Labor by beating the anti-carbon tax drum. Although Peter Dutton occasionally gives it a light tap it is hard to see enough Australians anywhere falling for that one again. Scott Morrison won in 2019 on the grounds that abolishing or modifying tax breaks and grants which benefited mainly the rich would also be bad for all Australians. That worked for one election.
If Dutton can come up with a platform that persuades enough outer suburban and regional voters that the party that used to blitz the inner suburbs is now their champion then his place in conservative politics will surpass even that of John Howard and Robert Menzies, not that the Coalition will in any way resemble the one led by those legends.
Bill King, Camberwell

Plan Australia’s vision
Ross Gittins (Comment, 23/10) raises interesting questions for immigration policy.
In a capitalist economy, growth is the key to a constant improvement in business profits. An increasing population feeds ever increasing demand and therefore a growth in economic activity and profits. Businesses expand, job opportunities abound, taxation revenue increases and the economy is generally thought to be booming.
But as Gittins points out, this rose-coloured glasses view of an ever increasing population does not take into account the deleterious effects of ever-increasing demand on our environment and lifestyle.
It is time to plan a vision for Australia that does not depend on a ″⁣growth at all costs″⁣ mantra. Those opposing higher immigration should not be seen as selfish in advocating that we consider the health of our environment first. The key word should be ″⁣sustainable″⁣ growth that does not exacerbate our effect on climate change nor destroy the wonders of our natural environment for which Australia has become famous.
Graeme Lechte, Brunswick West

Remembering a hero
Thank you Tony Wright for the article about Aboriginal activist William Cooper (″⁣A trail of tears from Footscray to Gaza″⁣, 21/10) who was not only a dignified and tireless campaigner for Indigenous recognition and advancement but an early voice against the persecution of Jews by Nazi Germany. The Australian Aborigines’ League certainly knew about injustice and cruelty.
While he has been honoured for his actions by the Jewish community, including at the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem, it is to our great shame as a nation that he is largely unknown in his own country. He is, however, one of 10 people commemorated on the Wall of Heroes at the Victorian Trades Hall in recognition of his activism.
Anne Sgro, Coburg North

Historical errors
In repeating the story Australian Jewish institutions and organisations have been championing about the petition William Cooper’s Australian Aborigines’ League tried to present to the German consulate in Melbourne in 1938 to protest against the Nazi pogrom known as Kristallnacht, Tony Wright makes several historical errors.
For instance, the document presented by a Jewish organisation to the German government in 2017 was not a ″⁣facsimile″⁣ of the league’s aforementioned petition but what might be characterised as a fake.
More importantly, this story obscures the fact that the principal purpose of the league’s petition was to draw a parallel between the Nazi German persecution of Jewish people and Australian governments’ persecution of Aboriginal people, as the Aboriginal advocate and historian Gary Foley pointed out in a 1997 essay and I observed in my 2021 biography of William Cooper.
Likewise, Wright’s story ignores the probability that the purpose of the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre Yad Vashem’s commemoration of William Cooper’s protest was, and is, to represent Israel as a postcolonial nation rather than a settler state like Australia.
Professor Bain Attwood,
South Yarra

Learn from history
The world keeps making the same mistakes by not listening to history. Afghan tribesmen eventually defeated the might of Russia and then America. The French and then the Americans could not overcome Vietnamese resistance. We know Israel did not start this current conflict, but waging a cruel war that cannot be won is madness. There has to be a better way.
Ralph Frank, Malvern East

Medicare madness
Why does Medicare require 10 pieces of ID information? In a recent call, the questions just kept coming – name, DOB, address, phone number, who is No. 4 on the card, their name, DOB and bank account number. I said, I don’t know and then I got asked to log in and tell him. No, because I don’t give out my bank account information on the phone. Next question, and I’m exhausted. Now why did I call? Good news is, I know who I am.
Fiona Evans, Mount Nasura, WA

Worthy award
In a time when so many reporters and writers are silenced through incarceration, threats or death it is delightful to see Salman Rushdie receive the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade for his determination to continue with his cerebral narration.
Sharyn Bhalla, Ferntree Gully

Flagging peace
We shouldn’t display flags on our buildings that suggest we support either side in the Hamas-Israel conflict. There will be no winners in this war, only losers – the civilian men, women and children. If we want to display a blue and white flag, why not the peace flag?
Ron Mather, Melbourne

AND ANOTHER THING

Voices
People voted No to save us from ″⁣division″⁣. The reaction from Indigenous leaders suggests, however, that they got it wrong.
Colin Smith, Glen Waverley

In “egalitarian” Australia, influence is not available to the original custodians, only to those with deep pockets such as Anthony Pratt.
Michael Langford, Ivanhoe

Anthony Pratt, like his father, a one-man lobby group. It just shows what money can buy.
Maurie Johns, Mount Eliza

Although not enshrined in the Constitution, the voice of Anthony Pratt has the ear of not just the Australian government, but governments globally.
Alan Inchley, Frankston

While our First Nations people have to beg for approval from the public for the whisper of a Voice, big business just blatantly pays for their megaphone access.
Peter Thomson, Brunswick

Re the Pratt tapes – and Australians voted against Indigenous people having a voice.
Susan Nisbet, Caulfield North

Was anyone really surprised by what was said about Donald Trump in the Pratt tapes?
Tony O’Brien, South Melbourne

Furthermore
″⁣War moving to next stage, Israel warns″⁣ (23/10). Talking about stages of war is illusory. Once started, they’re a slippery slope.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills

Thank you Peter Hepburn (And Another Thing, 23/10) for providing the only laugh of the day among grim reading.
Margaret Haggett, Cheltenham

I hope Antoinette Lattouf (Comment, 23/10) never had to deal with the sound of blackboard dusters and fingernails at school.
John Rawson, Mernda

Ray Brindle (23/10) is right. The four high apartment towers in central Moonee Ponds provide stark proof that “high-rise buildings .. create unpleasant ground level spaces”.
Ewa Haire, Moonee Ponds

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