The system is broken if Greg Sheridan is not, at the very least, a finalist in the 2021 Gold Walkley awards. His consistently high standard of articles on Israel and anti-Semitism is exemplified by his piece “Rise of anti-Semitism must not be Israeli leader’s lasting legacy”, 5-6/6). There would be few if any foreign editors in the world who could match his in-depth knowledge of Israeli politics, and even fewer journalists outside of Israel who have interviewed the longest serving Israeli Prime Minister, the outgoing Benjamin Netanyahu, as frequently as Sheridan.
Mark Awerbuch, Crafers, SA
Israelis have been to the polls four times in two years (and a fifth election in the coming months is still a possibility) and all the Knesset has achieved is to stitch together the unlikeliest of coalitions — one that even includes the Islamist Ra’am party. The central issue preventing the formation of a durable coalition remains the continuing push to remove Benjamin Netanyahu who, though the electorate continues to repose confidence in him, is facing long-running corruption charges. This is crazy stuff.
As Greg Sheridan points out, set against his value as a proven leader of a nation under daily threat of annihilation, the charges Netanyahu faces “look mostly pretty trivial” (I would have said “piffling”, but let’s not quibble).
One thing is clear: Israel’s claim to be the only democracy in that part of the world is incontrovertible, for only a democracy would be so invincibly stupid as to risk destroying such a man at such a time. The last time the Jews were this divided was back around 70CE in their war with the Romans — and that didn’t end well, did it?
Terry Birchley, Bundaberg, Qld
Please deliver my extreme gratitude to Greg Sheridan for his article on the international re-emergence of anti-Semitism. This issue is of deep concern to me and my fellow Jews and Sheridan’s representation of this along with his excellent reflection of Benjamin Netanyahu are appreciated.
Hilary Friedland, East Brighton, Vic
Greg Sheridan has painted a clear picture of the legacy Benjamin Netanyahu may well leave and also explains in a concise manner the recent sharp rise in anti-Semitism — two different but related themes. The widespread belief that it would be better that Netanyahu went reminds me of the old adage: “Be careful what you wish for”.
John Kempler, Rose Bay, NSW
Read the letters in The Australian.