Ed Husic Suddenly Discovers Free Speech ... But Only To Demonise Israel

After spending the better part of a decade cancelling anyone who disagrees with them, the progressive left have suddenly discovered free speech.

Labor MP Ed Husic today defended the right of actors and journalists to speak out against Israel without fear of professional retribution.

Will he also defend the right of doctors to speak out against gender fluidity without reprisal from HR?

How about the right of Christians to speak out against LBGTQ nonsense without losing their jobs?

If only Ed had discovered freedom of speech in time to have defended Israel Folau, or Moira Deeming or Andrew Thorburn or Lyle Shelton, or Jillian Spencer, or Bettina Arndt … and the list goes on.

Husic told ABC radio that people raising objections to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza were “standing with humanity”.

Ah yes. All these newly minted lovers of humanity in the Australian arts community.

Where was their stand for humanity regarding girls being oppressed in Afghanistan, or Christians being persecuted in Sudan, or Uyghurs being ethically cleansed in China?

Riddle me this Ed Husic, where was the stand for the humanity when Jews were raped, burned, beheaded, kidnapped and slaughtered by Hamas just two months ago?

Hello?

Ed?

Anyone from the arts community?

Hmmm. It would seem that the Australian arts community is highly selective when it comes to “standing with humanity” which, of course, means this is not about “humanity” at all.

Ed Husic, a Muslim, told ABC radio …

“If people express a view, and have the decency to show heart in relation to what’s happening in Gaza, and calling out the need to recognise humanity are then effectively professionally black-listed – I don’t think that’s right.”

Well let’s talk about what’s happening in Gaza, Ed.

On October 7 the governing body of Gaza sent more than 1000 of its men across the Israeli border early as people slept with explicit instructions to brutalise and murder Jewish civilians. They took more than 200 people - including elderly women and babies - hostage.

Israel is now desperately seeking to destroy those terrorists - who now hide themselves among their own civilian population - and rescue the Jewish hostages.

How dare Husic lecture us about “decency” and “showing heart” and “recognising humanity” while campaigning for the right of actors to cheer for the terrorists to get away with murder.

Hamas started this war.

Hamas are the cause of the Palestinian people’s suffering.

Hamas can end the war anytime they choose. It’s pretty simple. The terrorist group should release all the hostages, surrender and completely renounce their stated commitment to destroy the Jewish state.

So why aren’t actors and journalists calling for that?

I think we all know why.

The protest we saw at the Sydney Theatre Company was not about decency, it was about anti-Semitism.

The call by journalists to give Hamas the same credibility as Israel is not about recognising humanity, it’s about dehumanising Jews.

None of this about showing heart, it’s about parading the left’s hatred of Jews.

Mr Husic told the ABC that actors who use the stage to protest for Palestine …

“ … should be able to express their concern and stand with humanity and say that they are very concerned about what they are seeing in Gaza and they shouldn’t have to face professional retribution as a response.”

Husic is totally out of order.

Nobody is saying actors should not be allowed to say what they want. Rather, they should not be allowed to use their employer’s time, and their patron’s patience, to do it.

Actors most definitely have a right say whatever they want ... off stage.  But when I pay $150 to see a play, I have a  right not to sit and watch actors preach their personal political ideology.

I don’t want to be enticed to go see a play and then, when i’m trapped in my seat, subjected to vile anti-Semitism.

Let the actors stand in the street with a sign at the weekend. God knows they won’t be short of partners. But don’t let actors inflict their personal views on captive, paying audiences.

Or should we all be able to jump up on stage and have our say? After all, the audience are the ones paying to be there!

That the actors might have "good intentions" and "feelings" is hardly the point - it is still deceitful opportunism.

It’s like catching a flight on Qantas. Qantas tell you to buckle up, and then, when the cabin door is locked, they subject you to a Welcome to Country.

They’d probably put you through a smoking ceremony too, if there wasn’t so much avgas around. But I digress.

Ed Husic is no proponent of freedom of speech. He’s a proponent of the left’s right to cancel those they disagree with, whilst being free from cancellation themselves.

Oh, and before I’m done, what a joke it is for any Labor politician to talk about McCarthyism after the relentless persecution of Covid non-conformists during the pandemic.

We see you Ed.