Australian Greens MP Jenny Leong detests racism. So much so, she has made her position known in her pinned tweet:
Alas, just as we have seen terrorism doesn’t count when perpetrated against Jews, kidnapping does not count and Red Cross visits need not happen when Jews are the hostages, rape doesn’t count when Jewish women are the victims, racism does not apply when the subjects of it are Jews.
Right, Jenny?
Stop what you’re doing and listen to the despicable remarks of @Greens MP @jennyleong , in which she accuses Jews of having “tentacles” which they use to try and influence power.
— NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (@NSWJBD) February 6, 2024
Leong has plumbed new and dangerous depths by using one of the oldest and darkest antisemitic tropes… pic.twitter.com/P9LokLFQwU
Leong made these comments at the Palestine Justice Movement forum in Bankstown on December 13, which was convened to discuss the boycott movement against Israel, in further proof that the Israel-haters and BDS-holes are invariably antisemitic to their core.
Leong has now ‘apologized’:
“Speaking on a panel during a two-hour-long event last year, I acknowledge that I used a word at one point that was an inappropriate descriptor for the influence of groups backing Netanyahu’s genocidal attacks in Gaza and the ongoing occupation – I apologise that this has caused offence,” Leong said.
“It is incredibly telling that after a conversation where myself and other speakers made countless mentions of the genocidal attacks and occupation occurring in Gaza right now, that two months later more focus isn’t being put on the deaths of over 26,000 people, many of them children.”
Worst. Apology. Ever.
For a start, she is ‘apologizing’ for her use of the word “tentacles”, which is an allusion to the antisemitic trope – popularized by the Nazis – of Jews as an octopus encircling the globe. As offensive as this was, her antisemitism went further than this to suggest that Jews only help in the causes of others – not because they are good people who genuinely care about human rights – but for nefarious purposes. I think Leong needs to speak with Nova Peris to better understand no people have genuinely helped others more than the Jews.
More than that, she is ‘apologizing’ for the offense caused, as if Jewish people are unreasonable to think bad of her for this antisemitism. And she doubles down by repeating the lies of genocide and Gaza being occupied, as if taking more jabs at us for taking offense.
Jenny, you really should take your own advice when you tweeted “sure apologise, but maybe also try harder to not do shit things to begin with.” Because, quite frankly, you seem determine to do shit things and then double down and do more shit things.
if you want to truly do good, resign immediately. Public service could do with less antisemites.
