(We) can do better

Another report on video from Consortium News.  Nurumberg defense mentioned - of a soldier's duty not to follow illegal orders, even if given by a superior officer.

The genocide goes on: Several babies died when taken out of incubators that had no power and many more cancer patients sent home died. Most injured people cannot be helped since the medical system is completely collapsed and there are 27,000 injured.  A friend I have in Gaza told me an American flag was seen on a tank and unusual soldiers not Israeli are seen (wonder if these are the US Delta forces that Biden was photographed shaking their hands in this country). Rotting dead human bodies are all over Gaza. Stray hungry dogs are eating some.

On November 15th, 300 staff, students and alumni called on the University of Melbourne to take action against Israel’s genocidal attack on Gaza. They demonstrated their support for the people of Palestine by staging a sit-in at the University of Melbourne Parkville campus. In coordination with the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) movement, attendees called on the University of Melbourne to stop colluding in Israel’s war crimes and terminate its 13-million-dollar partnership with weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

Lies last century to justify the Iraq war have become true in Gaza in 2023, yet the US  and Australia fail to react. In 1990, US President George Bush promoted a total fabrication that Iraqis had thrown Kuwaiti babies out of incubators and had left them to die on the floor.

The modern history of Israel and Palestine has well-documented beginnings in the not so long ago. Of course, if you go back to the Ottoman Empire, the current responsibilities fade. And before then, biblical times. The greatest paradox is perhaps that, if people have the power to get something they really want, and can defend it, ultimately they own it, but they also own the consequences.

On 20 December 2022, US corporation Honduras Próspera Inc. announced a $10.7 billion international legal claim against the Honduran government.  Próspera’s investors want to be compensated by the Honduran people for their democratic decision to overturn a 2013 law enabling the creation of special economic zones known as ‘ZEDEs’.

No 85                                 November, 2023                                     

Please share VOICE with organisational members and on your social media platforms

In this Edition:

IPAN Actions for Peace

      * IPAN Media Release "Stop the siege and stop the genocide  in  Gaza"

      * Kathryn Kelly on Gaza on 8CCC radio

      * Sending letter to your MP regarding Gaza

      * IPAN e-petition to parliament calling for termination of the FPA

Frankston Beach Association: "The fight to save our coastal amenity from high rise buildings along Kananook Creek is not yet over despite the Minister overturning the decision to impose 3 storey mandatory height limits along the precinct.
We are asking that you join with STGW supporters in solidarity at

Noon on Monday 6 November 2023 outside Waves café/restaurant at Frankston Lifesaving Club, I Long Island Drive Frankston.

Waverley Council in Sydney recently voted to remove Greens councillors from their positions as Deputy Mayor and Committee members due to their position on the Israel/Palestine conflict. I was terrified of the deep irrationality and over-powering hatred and anger on display at the meeting.

Funny and interesting delivery. "Australia has spent several months promoting and holding a referendum on the Voice for Indigenous Australians - all the while the Housing Crisis is destroying millions of Australians' Lives. This video highlights the critical issues that are destroying the Australian Housing Market which must be voted on now (with a referendum.)" (Bikos Konstantinos)

On Thursday 2 November, staff, students and alumni of The University of Melbourne published an open letter in Overland Literary Journal addressed to Vice-Chancellor of The University of Melbourne, Duncan Maskell.

(Update: Ione Bellara's further appeal, 30 October) Ione Bellara, the Spanish Minister of Social Rights has called upon the countries to act to end Israel's murderous war against 2.6 million Palestinians in the Gaza strip. The transcript of her short speech is:

Even many of those who are currently protesting against Israel's destruction of Gaza and murder of more than 8,000 Palestinian civilians, so far, have condemned the Palestine resistance movement Hamas for supposedly having massacred 260 civilians at the Supernova Music Festival on 7 October. However, even Israeli news services have revealed that IDF tanks and Helicopters killed the 260 Israeli civilians together with most of their Hamas captors, when they were ordered "to eliminate the terrorists along with their hostages."

The video from Twitter, which is embedded below, shows a young Israeli woman express her opinion that Israel's past and present treatment of Palestinians is unjust and how Prime Minister Netanyahu's current attempt, through mass murder by aerial bombardment, to ethnically cleanse the Gaza strip of its Palestinians, is morally repugnant.

This morning, an alliance of Naarm/Melbourne activists entered the Port Melbourne building of Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems, with signs reading: ‘ELBIT DRONES KILL KIDS’ 'FREE PALESTINE’ as so-called Australia wakes to the news that another 700 Palestinians being killed overnight by Israeli bombs

"Words fail to express our shock and horror with regard to the ongoing war in our land. We deeply mourn the death and suffering of all people because it is our firm conviction that all humans are made in God’s image.  We are also profoundly troubled when the name of God is invoked to promote violence and religious national ideologies. Further, we watch with horror the way many Western Christians are offering unwavering support to Israel’s war against the people of Palestine."

"The housing market is facing the worst housing affordability ever - yet house prices continue to show extreme strength. So what's the housing end game when the majority of people can't afford a home - what's the future for house prices. This video features sections from the video: "If Nobody Can Afford A Home...

The Head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, said, "the call of the Israeli forces to move more than 1 million civilians living in northern Gaza within 24 hours is horrendous" and will lead to "an unprecedented level of misery."

We are alarmed by Israel’s call for over a million Palestinians to leave northern Gaza in less than 24 hours. Israel must rescind this order immediately. Demands for the population in its entirety to relocate in such an immediate manner put at risk the lives of those forced to flee. The Government of Israel has not provided any assurances for their safety while in transit or for the safety of civilians remaining in the Gaza Strip as fighting continues. 

Oxfam Australia: “The world can see that this evacuation order is both utterly inhumane and impossible; the Israeli government must rescind it immediately. We implore the international community to use its utmost influence to intervene – there are hospitals full of patients, women, children and elderly people who cannot move. Even for those who could move, there is no food, no water, and little shelter. This must be stopped."

Responding to the Israeli government’s order for northern Gaza to evacuate, Amitabh Behar, Oxfam International interim Executive Director said:

Saturday morning September 30th 2023 started out innocently and happily for Lorine of Assange Vigil Melbourne Australia, but within the hour she was injured, bruised and traumatised by Melbourne police. 

Australia’s  population of 26.5m grew at the rate of 2.2% (year ending March 2023.) At 2.2% growth rate our current population would increase to 30m within 10 years and double in 31.85 yrs and would reach 150m by 2103, within the life-expectancy of a child born today. Less than 25% of that 2.2 rate of population growth was due to natural increase. Without the 454,361 migration, we would have grown at about 0.55%.

28 September at 6pm via zoom. A Q&A will follow the three speakers, who are: Richard Tanter, Kathryn Kelly, and Alison Broinowsky.  See details about speakers and venue etc below.

Every time I turn on ABC Melbourne radio I am confronted with problems about which I can do nothing. A friend of mine visiting from Thailand described this radio station as “a problem a day,”  which resonated loudly with me.  The latest problem which gets non-stop air time is “the housing crisis.” Then there is the problem of Melbourne's newer suburbs with only one way in and one way out, keeping cars waiting in long queues to exit on the way to work.

The following article has been adapted from the attached leaflet (modified, 29/9/23 - previous version