[Oe List ...] How do we respond to the Bondi massacre without engaging in cover up or accusations?

Fri Dec 19 10:30:39 PST 2025

Christine and I went to a Multi-Faith Chanukkah Celebration earlier this week - partly because Christine has gone to this annual event for years, and partly because of the events on Bondi Beach. 

> On 19 Dec 2025, at 08:42, Richard and Maria Maguire via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
> 
> I imagine that you as well as the rest of the world have heard about the horrible killings in Bondi.
> 
> This even brings out once again how terrible it must be for people who have to be afraid of being attacked at any time by violent people just because of who they are, here especially First Nations, people from the Mideast, Jews and Africans.  Even though the number of people who would do such things is relatively small, the threat is always there.  We hope this might move the politicians to do a lot more about guns, the laws here were very good, but had many loopholes and have been whittled back over the years through political horse trading.  
> 
> We have been struggling with how to talk about Bondi without being seen as defending the indefensible, yet bringing in the larger context.   It seems to us that there needs to be a lot more conversation about why antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks have ballooned in the past few years, since Israel's murderous genocidal attacks on Palestinians.  See for instance https://theconversation.com/bondi-attack-came-after-huge-increase-in-online-antisemitism-research-272045 and  https://www.visionofhumanity.org/gaza-conflict-leads-to-rise-in-antisemitism-and-islamophobia/ <https://www.visionofhumanity.org/gaza-conflict-leads-to-rise-in-antisemitism-and-islamophobia/>This dimension of current reality has not been reported much in the media and governments have avoided doing much to deal with the causes.  We are also concerned that  if the government puts into law the Antisemitism statement proposed by their "envoy" it could make things worse on all sides https://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/research/commentary/antisemitism-plan-australia-contentious-definition.
> 
> We were grateful to find these two statement in our emails yesterday from two Australian organisations, "The Movement" https://themovement4point0.au/news/condemn-Bondi-beach-massacre and from The Australian Jewish Council https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/  which do a great job of holding the tension.  We notice how Gaza news has been wiped off the news feeds this week, even though twice as many innocent Palestinians have been killed per day over the last two years as were the 15 innocent people killed in Bondi.  
> 
> We, and I believe ICAA, are not interested in making public statements, but it would be great if we could converse about how to respond to immediate disasters like this and bring out the underlying contradictions behind them.
> 
> One "positive" arising from the Gaza war and behavior of governments is that the interest in Human Rights has grown considerably among the populations.  I went to a lecture on international Human Rights and government responsibility featuring Chris Sidoti from the UN Commission on Human Rights, an international Law professor from U of Sydney and Elizabeth Evatt in a large hall that was filled with several hundred people.  They commented that if this event had happened five years ago, the hall would have had few non specialists attending.
> 
> I grew up in a household with a father who was stridently racist and antisemitic.  I didn't like the things he was saying, neither did my mother or my siblings, but we didn't have the means to engage him productively so just stayed quiet.  I have yet to really understand what leads people to pick up these and similar beliefs and actions other than what dawned on me when I read "You are Accepted" in 1962 long before I met the ICA.  That essay changed my life and my life direction.  When I learned how the EI was using this piece, as well as its influence on our methods and mission, I was really grateful and still am.
> 
> Warmly
> 
> Richard
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 19/12/2025 1:02 pm, Karen Newkirk wrote:
>> Hi Richard, 
>> Merry Christmas to you and Maria!
>> 
>> I have sent the letters to the ToP Network USA and the ICAI Board, however, as stated in the letter, we should wait until the ICAI Board and/or ourselves have received the hotel invoice before we process our payment. 
>> 
>> Thank you
>> Karen
>> 
>> Karen Clover Newkirk
>> 52 Nelson Rd Queenscliff VIC 3225
>> Grateful to the Wathaurung / WadawurungTraditional Owners.
>> karennewkirk at gmail.com <mailto:karennewkirk at gmail.com>
>> 0419 577 489
>> 
>>> On 19 Dec 2025, at 9:42 am, balmkevin at gmail.com <mailto:balmkevin at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Karen,
>>>  
>>> I’m good to go with the two letters.
>>>  
>>> Regards
>>> Kevin
>>>  
>>> From: Karen Newkirk <karennewkirk at gmail.com <mailto:karennewkirk at gmail.com>> 
>>> Sent: Friday, 19 December 2025 8:37 AM
>>> To: Kevin Balm <balmkevin at gmail.com <mailto:balmkevin at gmail.com>>
>>> Cc: David Jago <david at smartmeetings.com.au <mailto:david at smartmeetings.com.au>>; Richard&Maria Maguire <richardandmaria at unfoldingfutures.net <mailto:richardandmaria at unfoldingfutures.net>>; Ms. Michelle Rush <michelle at facilitate.co.nz <mailto:michelle at facilitate.co.nz>>; Robyn Hutchinson <rjhutchinson48 at gmail.com <mailto:rjhutchinson48 at gmail.com>>
>>> Subject: Re: DRAFT Response to ToP Network USA re-$ for conference
>>>  
>>> Hi Kevin (in particular), David, Richard and Michelle,
>>> I have a response from Robyn:
>>> “Im OK with these - in haste. thanks Robyn”.
>>> Michelle has spoken. David and Richard were happy with the original. 
>>> Kevin, you have been closest to the issue and had significant feedback on the original draft. Could you please let me know your opinion on these two letters?
>>> Thank you 
>>> Karen 
>>>  
>>> Sent from my iPhone
> 
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