Filmmaker: Israel's ethnic cleansing must stop

Filmmaker: Israel's ethnic cleansing must stop.

In a move that surprised many — and symbolises Israel's growing isolation and global opposition to its crimes — former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr has publicly declared his opposition to Israeli policies of apartheid and ethnic cleansing.

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And is not just high-profile former politicans like Carr who are discovering the truth about Israeli apartheid and history of ethnic cleansing. Many Israelis are not taught the history of genocide and dispossession through which the Israeli state was created.

Like many people who grow up in colonial-settler societies — such as Australia — learning the truth can be a shock.

Similar to the Israeli film-maker, Lia Tarachansky, I have been on a long journey from being a pro-Zionist, racist, white Australian. It has involved study, meeting Palestinians and Aborigines, learning about the hidden history, and a lot of self-reflection.

I used to write letters of support to the Israeli embassy, hand out pro-Israeli flyers at University, speak in support of Israel when I could.

But then there was the case of the cold-blooded murder of a twelve year-old boy in the arms of his father. I could not understand how the Israelis could so blatantly lie about what happened: how it was the father's fault. Probably, I would have believed that it was a mistake, and the IDF would be profoundly sorry that it had happened.

The arrogance of the IDF spokes-people was such that they could sell any lie to the people.

I wrote a letter to the Israeli embassy expressing my disgust at what had happened, and to say that I could no support Israel. Their reply repeated the same lies and they said that they were sorry to lose my support.

This is a journey that all workers have to make. It is not easy. It is hard on one's ego to find out that one has been lied to so blatantly over a long time. And all of those authority figures that one trusted are all part of this sordid economy of lies and omission.