Firstly, from The Age:

Prejudice no longer a bar to Jewish progress: Leibler
Farah Farouque
May 13, 2008

DOES the disclosure of a single anti-Semitic email in the Liberal Party disclose deeper prejudice in traditional establishment circles against the Jewish community?

Leading Jewish businessman Mark Leibler suggests prejudice lingers in some quarters but was not a barrier to progress any more.

“I can still remember when a young Jewish boy or girl in the 1960s and early ’70s would have difficulty getting (legal) articles in establishment firms,” Mr Leibler said. And, he said, even today “when you mix in business circles you will hear racist comments, including anti-Semitic remarks”.

One such incident was divulged at an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry into the Richard Pratt-owned Visy group. A transcript of a conversation between two former Amcor executives included remarks such as: “Ah, you know what the Jews are like. No wonder they own half the world.”

Mr Leibler said it demonstrated pockets of prejudice still existed. “These elements of prejudice don’t disappear overnight,” he said. “But I don’t believe the Victorian Liberal Party or the leader is anti-Semitic.”

Adam Held, the Liberal candidate, who was the subject of an anti-Semitic email by former state campaign manager Susan Chandler, defended his party.

“In my long association with the Liberal Party, I have personally never had any anti-Semitic comments directed towards me. It is my belief that the Liberal Party remains a steadfast friend of the Australian Jewish community and the state of Israel,” Mr Held said.

B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission chairman John Searle believed this to be an isolated incident. “Fortunately, it appears to be the views as expressed by a single member of the Liberal Party and is not representative,” he said.

But is it really just a single member, or does the sickness run deeper?

We can think of a few other anti-Semitic incidents involving the Liberal Party over the past few years:

David Clarke attends neo-Nazi celebrations, 2005

Member for Indi’s media officer launches into secretly recorded anti-Semitic rant, 2006

Anti-Semitic fruitloop Ken Aldred pre-selected for seat of Holt, 2007

Senator Helen Coonan, Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells and NSW Upper House MP David Clarke attend neo-Nazi celebration, 2007

And we can’t forget Lyenko Urbancic,, the Nazi intelligence officer who was one of the most powerful people in the New South Wales Liberals from the 60s until his death in 2006.

Those examples are just off the top of our heads, and they’re just the tip of the iceberg. (We have more on the Liberal Party here.)

More later.