Jewish schools on alert after eight men threaten to cut schoolchildren’s throats (Australia)

[oberliner]

Last edited Fri Aug 8, 2014, 12:44 PM - Edit history (1)

JEWISH children as young as five were subjected to a terrifying racial attack when thugs stormed their school bus and threatened to slit their throats.

Screaming “Kill the Jews” and “Heil Hitler” the louts jumped on the bus packed with about 30 students, from kindergarten to year 12, who were on their way home from school yesterday.

The children, from Mount Sinai College, Moriah College and Emanuel School, were hysterical after the attack by eight young men as the school bus travelled through the eastern suburbs towards Bondi Junction.

The attackers, described as Australian and smelling of ­alcohol, boarded on Alison Rd, Randwick at 4pm.

Mother Jacqui Blackburn said her three daughters on the bus, aged eight, 10 and 12, were traumatised. “The bus driver opened the doors for these strange men and allowed them on to torment the kids,” she said.

“They were screaming ‘Heil Hitler’, ‘Kill the Jews’, ‘Palestine must kill you Jews’, ‘We are going to cut your throats and slice your throats open’ — just all very bad, anti-Semitic stuff.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/bondi-racist-bus-attack-jewish-schools-on-alert-after-eight-men-threaten-to-cut-schoolchildrens-throats/story-fni0cx4q-1227015860427?nk=7388f5380a856103a295a53e26038d42

[frylock]

1. this is not helping the palestinian cause

[JI7]

3. why do you assume it has anything to do with the palestinian cause ? i have said in many threads

that these anti semitic attacks are just based on hate and has nothing to do with people being concerned about palestinians or anyone else.

they are just using that to spread their hate which has always been there.

[oberliner]

8. They are alleged to have said "Free Palestine" and "F-ck Israel"

Does that not suggest some relationship, especially in light of this happening to take place right after what just went on in Gaza? You think that is just a coincidence?

[JI7]

9. yes, it's an excuse to spew anti semitic views they have already held

[oberliner]

12. You could be right

Or it could be that they have taken on antisemitic views in a misguided response to what is going on in Gaza.

[JI7]

13. i guess same way teabaggers are misguided in their hate

[TheKentuckian]

168. This is correct.

[Ken Burch]

114. It's opportunism on the part of a hate group. n/t.

[oberliner]

130. How so?

Are you sure that is the word you mean?

[Ken Burch]

136. antisemitic whackjobs try to legitimize their insane hatred

by linking it to the I/P issue.

I doubt whoever made these vile threats is acting totally alone.

[tblue37]

144. I am sure they were, since it turns out they are 6 teens who

were drunk and/or high at the time. Since they wore partial school uniforms and carried passes, they are probably obnoxious, loud-mouthed high school students who think they are super cool to terrorize little kids like that. But they were not acting as part of a political group.

[LanternWaste]

161. No more and no less than a drunken redneck yahoo with a confederate flag on his dual-exhaust pick-up

"Does that not suggest some relationship..."

No more and no less than a drunken redneck yahoo with a confederate flag on his dual-exhaust pick-up truck suggests a relationship to a southern regional sovereignty movement...

[JackRiddler]

170. Yes of course, they were dispatched by Hamas.

[oberliner]

186. That is preposterous

Seems to me that these thugs are just taking advantage of the “F-ck Israel” vibe that is omnipresent around the world. To think they are being directed by Hamas is one of the more outlandish theories I’ve ever heard.

[JackRiddler]

187. Of course it's preposterous.

As are the comments here generally that try to link these drunken violent Australian teenagers with anti-Semitic views to Palestinians or the pro-Palestine movement.

[oberliner]

190. Good points

They definitely don't seem to be connected to any wider pro-Palestine movement.

Some posters on this thread have suggested though that they might have been motivated by rage/anger about what is happening in Gaza.

Do you think that's possible?

[JackRiddler]

193. Sure that's possible.

When people act as raging bullies, it's not only not excusable but generally the product of their own issues. They're probably adopting whatever object of rage may seem convenient, whatever is "in the air." Whether or not the underlying cause is just may not be relevant, and such action obviously does no service to any cause. It may (or may not) have as easily been a different target. Especially with drunken youth.

[WinkyDink]

27. Dream on.

[sabrina 1]

113. I don't see where it has anything to do with the Palestinian cause. These are evil thugs

and their goal could have been to 'harm' Palestinians. I haven't read anything other than this so I don't know if they have been identified and what their motives were.

But no decent person would do something like this. I doubt Palestinians, especially those who have suffered the loss of their own children, or the parents of children who are deeply traumatized due to the frightening attacks on them in their homes and schools, would want their cause represented by thugs like these.

[tblue37]

143. They have been identified: they are six teens who were drunk

and/or high when they got on the bus.

They were teens and had bus passes--and were wearing partial school uniforms--so the driver let them on the bus.

The police have arrested 5 of them already and have a good idea who the sixth one is, so they will arrest him soon, too.

All of this information is in the article at the link.

[JackRiddler]

169. These were Australian Palestinians?

[MohRokTah]

2. The anti-Semites will take any excuse to be the assholes they are.

The current Gaza situation simply plays into their assholery. If all Jews were wiped out tomorrow, these same assholes would go after the Palestinians and any other person who doesn't fit their Ayrian ideal.

[oberliner]

5. Their Ayrian ideal?

Have you seen photos of the people in question?

[JI7]

6. and you have people who try to excuse it by saying "if israel just ...................."

thinking these people just care about the palestinians.

like racist wingnuts who attack immigrant kids by suddenly bringing up how unfair it will be to some black kids.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. Someone gonna show up and rationalize this as "blowback"?

Sort of how like Hamas rocket fire is "important privilege checking" that Israel should accept, without responding.

[randome]

7. Not blowback. But inevitable.

Netanyahu has painted a convenient target on the Jewish people.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font][hr]

[Warren DeMontague]

10. Thought so.

Funny, i remember when Muslims were being targeted and attacked here after 9-11.

I doubt statements like "oh well, that's the way it goes, inevitable, blame Osama" would be tolerated.

Nor should they.

[m-lekktor]

11. you are implying that acknowledging the existence of it is condoning it.

blowback happens and just because people with half a fucking brain can acknowledge the possiblity it can occur doesn't mean they approve.

[Warren DeMontague]

16. That's good that you don't approve.

As evidenced by the fact that you're in the thread arguing with me, instead of responding to the story itself.

[Jefferson23]

67. Yep. n/t

[Douglas Carpenter]

14. no civilized person could ever condone behavior like this - especially threatening children or

anyone else for that matter - but something about directing such hatred against children makes it all the uglier

[malaise]

15. This is disgusting but I don't know if it's anti-Semitism

Could be ignorant persons reacting to the slaughter and destruction in Gaza.

[Warren DeMontague]

17. you don't "know if it's anti-semitism"?

People get on a bus and scream at children about killing Jews, and you don't know if it's anti-Semitism?

....

[malaise]

18. No I don't know

Lots of folks who are very upset about the slaughter and destruction of the past four weeks don't have a clue about anti-Semitism. They don't even know the difference between Israeli and Jew.

[JI7]

19. it's not different than the racist teabagging scum terrorizing the border kids

[Warren DeMontague]

20. Well it's nice of you to be so understanding of the people who threatened to kill the children on

the school bus.

Obviously they're just keenly aware of geopolitical current events and this was their way of processing their concern.

[malaise]

21. Understanding?

I said they were ignorant and this was disgusting and I'll add that they're morons as well, but I do not know if they are anti-Semitic. I am not anti-Semitic but I am pro-international human rights law and abhor war crimes. I have Jewish relatives and I'm beyond pissed about the slaughter and destruction in Gaza. I'd send war criminal Bibi to the Hague without batting an eyelid - that would be enough for folks to accuse me of anti-Semitism. More than a few of us have been so accused for our condemnation of this carnage.

[JI7]

22. what does threatening school kids in another country have to do with gaza or bibi ?

do you think it would be ok to attack muslims in the united states because of what ISIS and Boko Haram was doing in africa and the middle east ?

[malaise]

23. Nothing for those of us who can separate issues

Is it mere coincidence that these and other attacks took place during the slaughter in Gaza?

[JI7]

25. is it coincidence that brown people were shot right after 9/11 ?

but they aren't racist. they were just misguided and upset over the attacks.

[malaise]

28. There's a difference - the official narrative after 9/11 made it open season for brown people

Many Muslims were seized from their families. I still have that Robert Greenwald documentary.
Were there racists citizens involved as well - no doubt.
I have merely stated that I don't know if these ignorant morons are anti-Semitic.

[JI7]

31. and you don't know if someone who uses the N word against black kids is racist ?

and no it's not different from when brown people were attacked after 9/11 and what wingnuts continue to attack brown people for.

[tblue37]

145. I think that saying, "Kill all the Jews," is self-evidently antisemitic, even though

the guys saying it were just stupid, drunk teenagers wearing partial school uniforms and showing bus passes (suggesting that they are probably high school students).

[kiranon]

26. Using Gaza as cover doesn't help or stop the act from being anti-Semitic, hateful and cowardly.

There is no justification for this act against children on a schoolbus. It is terrorism pure and simple.

[MrBig]

35. You are 100% correct n/t

[oberliner]

36. You wouldn't get on a bus of Jewish schoolchildren and shout "Heil Hitler"

Odd that you don't conclude that those who do are exhibiting antisemitism.

[Aerows]

40. If you are implying

in a roundabout way that Malaise is an anti-Semite, you are barking up the wrong tree, forest and hill.

I don't think anyone missed the vague language you used in the accusation.

[Warren DeMontague]

42. I think she doesn't have any understanding of what it is, based on her post.

Or else she doesn't believe such a thing exists.

Because if the behavior in this story isn't Anti-Semitism, nothing is.

[Aerows]

44. Oh

That's nice.

I guess everyone is ignorant AND racist, to boot.

[Warren DeMontague]

47. And, made of straw.

Do you think the people who got on the bus and threatened the children were anti-Semites, or not?

[Aerows]

50. Here is the horse your original argument is predicated upon

[Warren DeMontague]

54. What argument is that?

Please, summarize this argument that I'm making, at least inside your head if nowhere else.

[Aerows]

57. It's interesting how some folks are

always able to see everyone else's motivations except their own.

[Warren DeMontague]

62. Another non-responsive response, huh?

Shocking.

I didn't ask about my supposed 'motivations', I asked what argument you think I'm making. Because in this subthread, I've really only expressed one -- not even argument, rather opinion, I guess.

And that is incredulity that anyone would try to assert that people storming a bus full of children and screaming "We're gonna kill all you Jews" is not anti-semitism.

Do you think it's anti-semitism? I do.

[Aerows]

64. Oh, I think

my response was absolutely appropriate.

[Warren DeMontague]

66. Sure.

And you don't want to answer either of my questions, which I asked you first, so I'm probably not under much obligation to answer yours;


http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5347062

But... I think this subthread speaks for itself, honestly.

[Cali_Democrat]

63. Reading this subthread makes me want to bang my head against the wall...

WTF?

You've got a lot of patience.

People are screaming “kill the Jews” and "Heil Hitler" at a bunch of KIDS.

And some people don't know if this is anti-semitic?

This is Democratic Underground, right?

[Warren DeMontague]

68. Nah, I'm done.

Good luck with it, though.

[GP6971]

91. Have to wonder some time

Some comments are real head scratchers

[oberliner]

48. The opposite

I am implying that I know that poster is not an antisemite and am therefore surprised that they don't recognize this incident as being an example of antisemitism.

[malaise]

41. We just had a TV sportscaster fired here

for shouting Heil Hitler after Germany won the World Cup. You have no idea how much ignorance exists on this planet.

[Aerows]

43. There is plenty of ignorance

especially when you imply that people are anti-Semites for opposing some of the things the Israeli government does.

ISRAELI GOVERNMENT

Nothing in that comment that discusses Israelis or Jews, just the policies of a GOVERNMENT and it's leaders.

[malaise]

45. Precisely

Well said and therein lies the problem.

[Warren DeMontague]

49. It's well said if the point is to change the subject.

The subject of the thread is people who got on a bus full of schoolchildren threatening them and drunkenly ranting about killing Jews, and the subthread is about your comment that you "don't know if it's anti-semitism".

[oberliner]

51. Do you think that person was displaying anti-semitism in doing so?

If not, can you give me an example or two of what you would consider to be antisemitic behavior?

[malaise]

55. That person knows nothing about anything

He was just a stupid fan of the German team but the outrage for the comment rightly cost him his job.

Note I stated from my first comment that I do not know if they were anti-Semitic given the past four weeks. They may be but they could also be as ignorant as our sportscaster, but upset about recent events in Gaza. I don't know - we don't know.

[Warren DeMontague]

56. So screaming at a busload of children "we're gonna kill all you Jews" stops being Anti-Semitic

depending on geopolitical circumstances?

[MrBig]

59. To some people on this website

The events in the Middle East justify any act against Jews worldwide. It's sickening.

[Aerows]

61. Please point to where

anyone said that.

I'll wait.

[MrBig]

74. Just go through this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014859493

Numerous posts justifying a doctor who refused to treat a Jewish patient simply because the patient is Jewish.

[Aerows]

75. I actually responded to that thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014859493#post26

[MrBig]

119. I respect your response in that thread

And I do think you are coming from a good place. I'm just irritated by what I view as people attempting to justify or, in some disgusting instances, defend blatant anti-Semitism.

[Aerows]

123. I cannot explain why people want to kill each other.

It is foreign to me.

[malaise]

60. With regard to the ignorant moronic screaming at those children, the Israeli slaughter

in Gaza is not merely a geopolitical circumstance. We do not know if it was an anti-Semitic outburst or a response to the carnage in Gaza.

[oberliner]

72. What if someone responded to the attack on 9/11 by threatening Arab-American schoolchildren?

Is that not necessarily anti-Arab racism?

[Aerows]

81. What about

*actually* killing children?

That's why this is a vicious circle.

Sane people don't condone the killing of ANY children.

Yet children have died at the hands of the Israeli government. I think the point Malaise was trying to make was that in the middle of a war, it's hard to say whether it is "hating" or just being angry over what has happened among combatants.

It's not right, hell no.

[onenote]

101. Several children were "actually" killed in the 9/11 attacks.

So the folks attacking innocent Muslims in the US were "just being angry"?

[Aerows]

103. All motives are not created equal

and some people are just plain lunatics without the need of prejudice of any sort. Frankly, anyone that kills children is a lunatic, but that is beside the point.

What about the guy that attacked the Sikh Temple and was too ignorant to tell the difference between a Sikh and a Muslim?

Unbridled hatred is not reserved for any one type of organization or person. Anti-Semites certainly exist, as do bigots of all stripes. Leaping on Malaise for saying that it was unclear what this particular hater's motive was and implying she is an anti-Semite, however, was out of line.

You aren't going to convince me otherwise. Drag whatever you like out, but that was still wrong, as it is wrong to call anyone who questions the policies of the Israeli government an anti-Semite.

Some people fail to get that, and it gets tedious to have to continue to explain to the same people over and over again that no, you don't despise Jews or Israelis just because you think Netanyahu is an asshole.

[Jefferson23]

82. Intent/ motive can cross over..not always one thing. Of course it is anti-semetic against the

children, I believe all malaise is suggesting is it may not be one intent.

[Aerows]

84. That's what I got out of it, too

Not all motives are the same.

[Jefferson23]

88. People can have more than one, and they can utilize a crisis to act out because they are already

predisposed to bigotry..horrible for the kids.

[Aerows]

90. I know

The entire situation is horrific.

[Jefferson23]

93. Yes, the children will need support and explaining these awful acts is not easy..these assholes

robbed a part of their innocence...that is a precious part of life.

[malaise]

87. There is a problem with the way this is being discussed

9/11 was a Saudi attack on America. The American state turned on its own Muslim population and so did racist citizens.
The destruction and slaughter in Gaza was perpetrated by the Israeli Zionist government led by Bibi
People who have no clue about Jewish, Israeli or Zionist saw those dead children and saw that destruction. Many young and old are pissed with Israel. Some are just ignorant and angry.
More than a few of these people know absolutely nothing about anti-Semitism, but are pissed with Bibi and the Israeli government.
Of course these louts were wrong to threaten the children.

[JI7]

95. do you seriously think these fuckers give a shit about palestinians ?

[oberliner]

109. How should this be discussed?

I'm honestly trying to understand where you are coming from here. I'm not getting why you don't think this is a clear example of antisemitism (though I appreciate your attempts to elucidate). If we can agree that antisemitism means hostility towards Jews, this is clearly that isn't it? These people were certainly being hostile towards Jews.

[countryjake]

116. Malaise, don't you think that when ignorant, angry people...

turned on our Muslim population here in the USA...that what some of them did to their fellow citizens in response to 9/11 should have been considered racist hate-crimes?

Being stupid doesn't excuse blind hatred. It's one of the causes of it.

[Aerows]

125. It isn't Malaise

I was the one that opened up the conversation, so direct it at Aerows.

It's fucked up. Direct it at the person that asked the question.

[TreasonousBastard]

138. I'll take a wild guess...

Threatening schoolchildren over anything, even some "geopolitical circumstance", is always wrong. No question, no debate-- it's wrong. I'm sure you know that.

It stretches the imagination to improbable lengths to accept that threatening Jewish schoolchildren is inspired by events in some corner of the planet-- these people simply hate Jews (probably among a bunch of other peoples also) and they might have heard something about some goings on in the Middle East and that might be part of today's excuse for a terrible act. But it is certainly not the cause.

[Aerows]

139. Glad we agree

Threatening schoolchildren over anything is always wrong.

[TheKentuckian]

173. A distinction without any difference even if it is a "response" to Gaza the response is

fucking textbook antisemitism and ignorance doesn't change that either.

You are coming very close to making Gaza an excuse for antisemitism and I only say close because I don't believe that is your actual intent and are getting hazy in your fury.

Yes, Malaise it is antisemitism regardless of what inspired it. The action is operative and is unaltered by motivation.

[Behind the Aegis]

146. Apparently so.

What I find amazing are those who don't want to be labelled anti-Semitic for criticism of Israel yet, stories like this, the attacks in France, the march in Berlin, and the doctor in Belgium are excused away. It is nothing than pure conflating of Jews and Israel, which, supposedly, they (the critics) condemn.

Do you have a headache from ?

[btrflykng9]

153. +1

[JustAnotherGen]

33. Anti Semitic

If someone got on a school bus of black children and screamed n bombs, and the the Ns because they are upset because Obama is in the White House using drones . . . They are a racist. No different.

Blaming children is ten kinds of fucked up and at the very core - these people are evil.

I posed a question in a thread the other day and I believe MarrahG is the only person that answered it.

These are powerless children who aren't to blame for Bibi's malevolence.

And I hope their parents get even.

^This is how it starts^

[Cali_Democrat]

80. Well said. nt

[King_David]

185. You make a good case

For the existence of Israel as the Jewish state .

[kiranon]

24. It most certainly is anti-Semitism and extremely cowardly. n/t

[Kurska]

30. Threatening to murder Jews, because they are jews isn't anti-semitic.

People are really flying their flags highly lately.

[MrBig]

34. The lengths people will go...

It's downright scary and disturbing

[MrBig]

32. I was waiting for the sarcasm tag

But it never came

[Scootaloo]

98. Say what, dude?

No, seriously, what?

[WhollyHeretic]

111. You don't know if it's anti-semitism? Holy crap is this a disturbing post.

[Codeine]

117. I'm disturbed that you don't see that. nt

[840high]

118. What??? How much clearer

should they be?

[eridani]

131. Oh, bullshit. Of course it's antisemitism. Gaza is just the excuse n/t

[LeftishBrit]

148. Australian Jewish schoolchildren have nothing to do with the death and destruction in Gaza

It's ignorant AND anti-Semitic. Just like it's ignorant AND Islamophobic to attack Muslims in one's country because of 9-11.

[WinkyDink]

29. If only Israelis would do the same, outside the Middle East, so the U.N. could condemn them.

[MrBig]

37. I was ready to make a smart ass remark

About how someone on this website would rush over and argue that this wasn't anti-Semitism, but rather people whose hearts are with those in Gaza, and they just don't know how to vent their frustration.

...and then it actually happened.

[oberliner]

39. If this is not anti-semitism then what is?

I'm not sure there could be a more clear cut example.

[MrBig]

53. I agree

I thought the same thing about the acts that took place in Belgium and France.

Some people here though just choose to be willfully ignorant because in some twisted way, they think it goes against their cause.

[bravenak]

38. This has fuck all to do with Gaza.

Antisemetic prick will use any excuse to spread their hateful ideology. Even if everything was made perfect tomorrow, they would find an excuse to terrorize Jews.

Of course it's anti semitism.

[Violet_Crumble]

46. Here's something I just read with a bit more detail...

The attack is believed to have occurred on a State Transit Authority bus that had been hired out privately for the school run. Police are investigating why the bus stopped to pick up the teenage thugs along Darley Road.

The bus was also believed to have CCTV cameras on board, and police will review that footage, which has not yet been publicly released.

Police said in a statement that officers from the Eastern Suburbs local area command were investigating the incident.

"While the event is not believed to be targeted, police have confirmed appropriate action will be taken against the alleged offenders once found, and any type of racial abuse, especially where young children are involved, will not be tolerated," the statement said.

The teenagers are described as being aged between 15 and 17 years old and "of Caucasian appearance".


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/teens-arrested-over-racist-attack-on-bus-full-of-jewish-school-students-20140807-101995.html#ixzz39emwFHjh

I hope the cops throw the book at those wankers. And I'd like to know how they got on the bus in the first place when it was doing a private run. If the bus driver did make an unscheduled stop and picked them up, he's going to be in a world of pain...

[oberliner]

52. Thanks for the added info

Why were these thugs allowed on board? Something fishy maybe with bus driver?

[Violet_Crumble]

65. How the bus driver acted is really weird...

One of the mothers of the kids on the bus said the driver stopped where he shouldn't have and let those thugs on the bus and did and said nothing while they were yelling all that shit at the kids. I know from experience there's some dopey bus drivers out there, but this goes beyond that if the CCTV shows it to be true. Even if he made an honest mistake in letting them on the bus, he could have instantly called for help on the radio or told them to get off the bus, or stuck around when the parents called the police. Apparently the same gang tried to get on an earlier school bus, but the driver didn't let them get on.

[Jefferson23]

78. That is odd, and I imagine they'll investigate. The driver has a legal obligation to protect those

he is in charge of...something sounds off.

[malaise]

77. Thanks for your post

I want to see the interviews with these morons

[Violet_Crumble]

96. The cops tried to interview some of htem early this morning...

They were still so drunk they couldn't be interviewed. And some of them are minors so the interviews wouldn't be made public, nor their names. What I'd like to see is the CCTV of the incident because the behaviour of the bus driver as described by children and parents is totally inexcusable.

btw, I've been reading this thread, and I just want to say that what was yelled at the kids is definitely anti-Semitic. We've got racial vilification laws, and a few years back a woman was charged with yelling abuse at an Asian teenager on a train. I suspect once the cops go through the CCTV footage charges will be laid against the ones they've located....

[Scootaloo]

102. By the stroy, that's exactly what happened - the bus driver just let them on

The guys who did this are drunken teenage assholes - they deserve punishment, of course, but, well, teenagers are pretty goddamn dumb on a good day, and where alcohol is involved...


The real problem i think, is the adult in the scenario who invited it to happen - the bus driver. I don't know what the law is on this but it seems that he would be very much culpable over this.

[Violet_Crumble]

129. I just read something that said he was obligated to let them on...

According to one bus driver, even though the bus is chartered by several schools, the policy is the drivers have to stop for any kids in school uniform. But regardless of that, he must have been blind not to see that they were drunk, and he should have stopped them from getting on the bus in the first place.

"It wasn’t the bus driver’s fault”

A Jewish bus driver said his colleague had to stop for the eight teenagers that abused the Jewish students yesterday.

He said that drivers are instructed to pick up any children in a school uniform.

"If the school students hail us down then we have to pick them up,” the bus driver told The AJN.

“It’s not about safety anymore, it’s just about money so it wasn’t the bus driver’s fault they he picked up the kids.”

He said the people to blame are the bureaucrats that make the rules.

“The bus driver was doing his job because, although the Jewish schools might think they charter the bus, the reality is that they do not.

“The problem is with the system and it needs to be changed.”

A spokesperson for State Transit confirmed that school buses are for all school children.

“Bus drivers are required to pick up school children and reports that this was a private school bus is a miscommunication,” the spokesman said.

http://www.jewishnews.net.au/dont-blame-the-bus-driver/36994

[oberliner]

132. But the bus was taking the children home from school

I can understand if they were bringing kids to school - but at the end of the day taking them home? Aren't all the kids that they are meant to be transporting home originating from the schools themselves?

[Violet_Crumble]

135. I would have thought so as well...

None of it really makes sense to me. I'm sure there is a policy that says they have to stop for kids in uniforms at bus stops, but unless they got on at a stop where kids on the bus were getting off, I don't understand why he stopped at all

[randys1]

58. An outside force must demand both Israel and Hamas come to the table

it must be forced on them, otherwise the death and misery will continue on both sides, while one side suffers far greater than the other

[oberliner]

69. What side are Australian Jewish kids on a bus?

I don't get your comment.

[randys1]

71. I am responding to the issue that creates these sick actions by anyone anywhere

If the issue was resolved in Gaza, assholes like this wouldnt have a cause to be assholes about

[oberliner]

73. Possibly

Or it might be that they would find some other excuse.

[randys1]

76. Yeah, haters hate...but it would be nice if we could FORCE a resolution before anyone else dies

[DemocratSinceBirth]

79. I'm about to get on the Orange Line from Woodland Hills to North Hollywood

I trust no Mexican will terrorize me because the USA annexed California from Mexico, collective guilt and all...

[Codeine]

121. Before Gaza nobody hated Jews.

[LeftishBrit]

150. I agree, but that has nothing to do with this thread

This was in Australia. Nobody in this story is either Israeli or Palestinian.

[Jefferson23]

70. Traumatized innocent children, that is off the charts ugly. n/t

[Rex]

83. The insanity of 'protecting your children by killing theirs'.

Never works, but people keep on trying to justify death by creating more of it.

[Jefferson23]

85. Horrific event, sickening and as best they can parents and the school will need to help

them through it...sad. I would like to know why the bus driver let them on in the
first place.

[Rex]

86. I don't know, it is horrific.

Terrorizing children is despicable.

[GoneFishin]

89. That does it. These assholes with razor precision timing have me thinking that the 1900 murdered in

Gaza deserved it. Especially since the assholes made reference to the Palestinians. See, because without that particular reference, these might have been just ordinary assholes. But since they specifically made reference to Palestinians, that must mean that the Palestinians are associated with Neo-Nazi's. Obviously the Gazan Palestinians have some connection to these assholes and any sympathy for them, or animosity toward the Israeli military for killing innocent civilians and leveling 10,000 homes with no hope whatsoever of rebuilding them, should therefore be reconsidered. Whew. It's a good thing these guys tipped their hands when they did or people might have wrongly focused on the nearly 500 Palestinian children that were killed, or the multiple incidents of unarmed Palestinian civilians walking with white flags being shot for no reason over the past 30 days.



Gullible.

[oberliner]

107. Not sure I get what you are trying to say

Even with the sarcasm icon, your point is not entirely clear.

[GoneFishin]

184. I don't believe that at exactly the right moment required to distract away from the horrors

in Gaza, the only Arab loving neo-nazis to exist in the history of the planet pop into the lime light and threaten to commit the universally hated and internationally condemned act of harming children. Then they spew the name of, and rise to defense of, a middle eastern region where brown people live, which by their own ideology should hate, and which they probably can't find on a map.

The timing is too perfect, and the multiple linchpins that were required to tie it to BOTH Gaza and anti-semitism, and evoke universal condemnation, all fell into place too perfectly.

I think these were garden variety assholes and the story was embellished by some PR squad.

[politicman]

92. whats worse, thugs threatening innocent children OR Israeli mudering innocent children...

These thugs on the bus did a disgusting thing, everyone should condemn it, call it anti-Semitism because that's what it is and condemn every day of the week.

I and others can do this with idiots jumping on a bus and threatening innocent children, YET Israeli supporters cannot do the same when the Israeli government does something even way worse by murdering hundreds of innocent Palestinian children.

It always amazes me how we can have thread after thread on here from Israeli supporters decrying anti-Semitism around the world and acting outraged about it YET at the very same time these same Israeli supporters stay quiet and even support Israeli actions that target an entire Palestinian people and kill thousands.


Some people on this and other threads will take any opportunity to argue that Jews around the world are not responsible for Israeli crimes (which is perfectly correct) and no one should seek to try and punish Jews for Israeli crimes (again which is perfectly correct), YET with the very next breath these people will turn around and be ok that Israel blockades and punishes all Gazans because they don't like Hamas.

Some of these same people that decry anti-Semitism because it targets those who are innocent and have nothing to do with Israeli crimes, turn around and accept hundreds of innocent Palestinian children deaths as 'collateral damage' even though these children are innocent and have nothing to do with Hamas crimes.

Have some consistency you Israeli apologists.

[oberliner]

94. The second one

Killing is definitely worse than threatening.

Thanks for sharing your insights.

[politicman]

99. i struggle to understand why they cant see murdering is worse than threatening

Whats funny is that these Israeli apologists cannot make that distinction.

I look at threads on DU, I see the media, I see many Jews all around the world speak out to defend and excuse the Israeli crimes of punishing all of Gaza for hamas actions AND then these same people get all outraged that some thugs around the world want to hold all Jews responsible for Israeli crimes.

I'm not excusing anti-Semitism but just facing reality and that reality is that there are idiots around the world who are not that educated and when they see rallies in support of Israeli crimes and when they read DU or watch the media and see many Jews around the world defending and excusing Israeli crimes because Israel is their homeland, then these idiots and thugs want to punish these Israeli supporters, thus you get anti-Semitism.


Its wrong and should not happen just as much as Israeli supporters defending and excusing the murder of Palestinian children as collateral damage is wrong and should not happen.

[oberliner]

100. Do you really think these thugs wanted to punish Israeli supporters?

I'm not sure how they would have been able to identify these children as such.

Do you mean they just wanted to lash out at whatever people they could associate with Israel (such as kids from a Jewish school) in response to their anger over the deaths of so many Palestinian children?

[politicman]

108. you articulated it better than me...

Yes that is exactly what I mean, you articulated it better than I could, thank you.

Its wrong that these people want to lash out at anyone they associate with Israel, it should be condemned in the loudest possible way because it is wrong, BUT like you articulated so well, there will be people around the world that will through their frustration hold anyone who in their opinion they can associate with Israel accountable.

Me, you and others can sit here and condemn these thugs for taking out their anger on people not directly involved in Israeli crimes but these Israeli apologists all over DU and all over the media don't have the same moral fortitude to condemn Israeli thugs for punishing Palestinian children and innocents for what they perceive to be the crimes of Hamas.

It always frustrates me how Israeli apologists can be outraged that thugs might associate Jews with Israel (which is wrong), YET gloss over Jews in western countries who contribute to the disgusting thinking of these thugs on the bus by going out and excusing and defending Israeli crimes simply because they view Israel as their homeland, even though they don't live there..

[LeftishBrit]

156. The second, but one does not justify or even relate to the other

This happened in Australia, not Israel; and reflects the anti-Semitism of some teenage thugs, who may or may not grow out of it.

'Some people on this and other threads will take any opportunity to argue that Jews around the world are not responsible for Israeli crimes (which is perfectly correct) and no one should seek to try and punish Jews for Israeli crimes (again which is perfectly correct), YET with the very next breath these people will turn around and be ok that Israel blockades and punishes all Gazans because they don't like Hamas.'

Collective punishment is wrong IMO, whoever does it.

I haven't seen anyone on this thread say that it's perfectly OK to punish all Gazans for the actions of Hamas, so why are you being pre-emptive about it?

[politicman]

157. ....

They may not explicitly say that they think its ok to punish all Gazans for the actions of Hamas, but when anyone supports and excuses Israeli actions that we can see with our own eyes are collective punishment of Palestinians, that to me demonstrates what they truly believe.


If I was in a fight with you and ended up punishing your family as well, wouldn't anyone that supported or excused my actions be indirectly saying that they thought me punishing your family was ok to do?

[LeftishBrit]

162. That may be, but it's not relevant to this thread

This reminds me of how sometimes when people criticize discrimination against Muslims in (say) the UK or Australia, someone steps in to bring up how some Muslim country, e.g. Saudia Arabia, is oppressive and xenophobic. We can criticize all of these things; but they are not relevant to one another, except in the broad sense that all humans are capable of bigotry. One bigoted or violent act in one place does not justify or minimize a bigoted or violent act in another place.

[octoberlib]

97. Yes, screaming heil Hitler, and kill the Jews at Jewish schoolchildren is anti-Semitic

and it doesn't matter if it was in relation to Gaza or not. Despicable.

[Behind the Aegis]

104. Exactly.

Some predictable responses though. It is fascinating watching people "excuse" anti-Semitism while it is right there in their faces.

[octoberlib]

110. They also ignore the fact that anti-Semitism was on the rise in Europe and

other places in the world before the current I/P conflict. It doesn't matter if they're just dumb teenagers either. Still anti-Semitism.

[Behind the Aegis]

137. YUP!

I have been posting about the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe for the past several months. The recent conflict is nothing more than excuse, but to see people even questioning if this is anti-Semitism is disgusting, yet predictable. There arguments are no different than right-wingers (and few on the left) who claim it isn't racist to portray Obama as a "chimp" or "ape" because those comparisons have been made about prior past presidents. Also as predictable is their claiming they are victims of mean, evil Zionists who claim everything is anti-Semitism and they are just trying to "spread the good word" about the evils of Israel.

[JustAnotherGen]

155. +1000

[mwrguy]

105. Is there video of the incident?

[oberliner]

106. Not that I'm aware of

Some arrests have been made though:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-07/teenagers-arrested-for-bondi-school-bus-abuse/5654108

The article says the suspects were teenagers and that they were "too drunk to be interviewed" by police when they were arrested at 3:30 this morning.

[freshwest]

140. There was video. They were identifed by CCTV on the bus. But I doubt they'll release it.

I fault the bus driver from the statements made at the link, also the police who seem to be willing to give him a pass. but perhaps the CCTV didn't record all that happened, or had no sound, though.

The assertion made by authorities that it was random doesn't make sense. The investigator said the kids weren't being targeted. What utter bullshit. The bus carried Jewish kids going to Jewish schools despite the driver saying anyone could ride. Those arrested didn't have a record showing they had a habit of going after any bus, and their words were specific and for that group of kids.

This is another example of stochastic terrrorism in my opinion. The media must be loving it, seeing the mayhem. People are caught up who never gave a flying leap about Israelis or Palestinians.

It's trendy now, like yelling at kids crossing the border and calling to have Obama lynched. They will find another cause to jump up and down and bully people when the events on the ground settles down. It's sick and disingenous for anyone to carry on about this and go after a bunch of kids, but mobs know no bounds.

And no, I won't give them a free pass for being drunk or drugged, either. Most people don't get a free pass for that, so they can do their time and be identified as the bunch of sickos on the media. Oh, wait, they won't...

[JustAnotherGen]

149. +1

[Codeine]

122. A post upstream said the police are looking

at CCTV footage from the bus.

[countryjake]

112. The article I read on this earlier said that three teens were released...

into the custody of their parents, after they were arrested as suspects in the incident, during the early morning hours on Thursday.

I don't know how Australia deals with things such as hate-crimes or juvies, but it seems to me that sobering up in a jail cell would have done much to make these young bastards consider the severity of what they'd done. I also listened to interviews with several of the children who were on that bus and some of them said that their bus driver had made an "unexpected" stop to allow the boys to get on. Sounds to me like that driver, himself, has plenty to answer for.

[oberliner]

115. Why were these drunk older teenagers allowed on this bus?

The children on the bus were all between 5 and 12.

Why was this group of much older teenagers permitted on board a private school bus?

[countryjake]

120. Oberliner, they had on school uniforms, school bus passes!

Youths accused of racist attack on busload of Jewish children 'too drunk' to be interviewed

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/youths-accused-of-racist-attack-on-busload-of-jewish-children-too-drunk-to-be-interviewed-20140807-101d1t.html

A group of youths accused of launching an anti-Semitic stream of abuse at a bus load of Jewish primary school children in Sydney's east were dressed in school uniforms and produced bus passes to board the vehicle, police say.

Five youths, aged between 15 and 17, were arrested in Rose Bay in the early hours of Thursday morning but were too drunk to be interviewed at the time, superintendent Jason Box, the Eastern Suburbs local area commander, said.

Police are still searching for one boy following the incident on a bus travelling between Randwick and Bondi Junction on Wednesday afternoon.

Superintendent Box said the bus driver told police he was not aware of what had occurred.

"I've been informed that some of the six juveniles had bus passes and were in partial school uniform and I can only assume that the bus driver believed that they were school children due to their age and what they were wearing and that bus passes were produced," he said.

Planned and premeditated?

[Violet_Crumble]

126. As planned and premeditated as drunk teenagers can manage...

17 and 18 year olds would be in the last years of high school, so it's likely they were wearing their school uniforms and were wagging school. Apart from the punishment of probable criminal charges, I bet their schools won't be letting them off lightly either.

[countryjake]

127. Oh, so they were probably wearing their own school uniforms?

We don't have much in the way of "school uniforms" up here where I'm at in WA state. I assumed that the updates to that article were implying that they were disguised in some manner...my mistake.

I still don't get why that bus driver appears to have been oblivious to the ruckus. In the children's interviews, they all pretty much said that they ran to the front of the bus, pleading with him to do something..."zip your lips" was one response he is alleged to have given.

I read your replies above, way upthread, and I agree...can't wait til they release the bus video of the whole thing. Tho, if those teens were sitting down in the back spewing their hate, not much will be proven by the video, either.

[Violet_Crumble]

133. I think it's a strong possibility that they were...

In New South Wales kids in years 11 and 12 have school uniforms. Here in Canberra, years 11 and 12 go to college, and don't have uniforms. I can remember back then that I was so grateful that my parents moved from Sydney to Canberra when I was a little kid.

Yeah, even with the extra stuff I've read about State Transit Authority policy on chartered school buses, I'm just not getting why the bus driver behaved like he did...

[oberliner]

128. The bus was carrying primary school children home from school

Why would the driver pick up 15-17 year old teenagers at as they are taking primary school (5-12 year old) students home from school? The bus was dropping off students at home at the end of the school day. Such buses do not pick up passengers.

Also the article does not say they had "school bus passes" but rather "bus passes". This was not a public bus and no other passengers were picked up at any point.

[kelliekat44]

124. Those children must be highly traumatized. This really is an act of terrorism and should be treated

as such.

[oberliner]

134. I agree with the first sentence but not the second

I do not think this incident should be treated as an act of terrorism.

[Ken Burch]

141. I hope they catch the bastards immediately.

They are bigots and psychopaths.

[LeftishBrit]

147. Absolutely disgusting

[RFKHumphreyObama]

152. Absolutely vile and despicable. There is no excuse for this

Reprehensible, juvenile, appalling behaviour. These creeps should have the book thrown at them. I am sickened that this happened in the city in which I live. Those poor children. I would have been terrified if I were in that position and I'm in my mid-30s. I can't imagine what it must have been like for children so young. I was listening to the mother quoted in this article on the radio today -she understandably sounded so distraught and upset

There are questions about the conduct of the bus driver in this case that need to be answered and I hope there is a thorough investigation into the circumstances under which these people were let on the bus -something just doesn't seem right here.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

154. This thread took a crazy turn.

It's not okay to terrorize children because you think there is a link, however tenuous, between them and actions of adults some twelve thousand miles away.

[steve2470]

158. +1 nt

[LeftishBrit]

163. +1

[Jefferson23]

165. Are you suggesting that is what malaise has done? I would think you don't, but if so, nothing

could be further from the truth. If you do think, point to where she states in any fashion that
it's ok to terrorize children due to actions else where ( Gaza ).

[DemocratSinceBirth]

166. I was making a statement and not calling out any individual poster.

I trust the denizens of this board have the perspicacity to arrive at the proper conclusion(s).

[Jefferson23]

167. An unfortunante approach which can lead one to tarnish another and be on there way without

indicating the evidence of the alleged stated language you claimed earlier. ok

[DemocratSinceBirth]

171. I see my role here as merely leading the horses to the "proverbial" well./nt

[Jefferson23]

172. Nay..a well without clarity. n/t

[DemocratSinceBirth]

174. Anti-semitism existed prior to Israel becoming a modern state.

In fact it was one of the reasons it was re-created.

That is the well.

[Jefferson23]

175. Who said otherwise? You are going to add clarity to your first claims in this thread or not?

To continue to build a case against malaise, which is what you seem to be doing, is why I am
asking you for clarity.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

176. You insist on naming this person and that person

I'm content to lay out the facts and let the denizens of this site make their own determinations.


To borrow a colloquialism there will always be a reason for ill willed people to fuck with gays, Jews, trans folks, blacks, et cetera.


They don't need a casus belli.

[Jefferson23]

177. I think you're content to imply and without evidence. bye n/t

[DemocratSinceBirth]

178. Have a nice day, haver./nt

[Jefferson23]

179. I'm sure anyone asking you for specifics is considered babble to you..no worries. n/t

[DemocratSinceBirth]

180. "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." NT

[Behind the Aegis]

181. Correct.

Nor to call such things "blowback" or "Israel's fault."

[DemocratSinceBirth]

183. In another thread

In another thread I read where a Belgium physician was justified in withholding medical services from a Jewish woman because she presumably supported Israeli policies.

If I was a physician I would have treated an ailing Hitler and then turned him over to the proper authority.

[MH1]

188. It would have helped if the OP would have been clear that this occurred in AUSTRALIA

Not everyone looks at the link to see what country the article is from, and that doesn't always mean anything.

Not everyone knows the geographic references in the OP. (A clue should have been that none of them sound anything like a place in the ME, but still.)

[oberliner]

189. Where did you initially think this took place?

Before clicking on the link to read the article, what was your assumption?

[MH1]

191. My "assumption" was that I had no idea, and it would be really nice if the OP

would have provided that info.

Looking at the link, I presumed Australia (.au) but just because an Australian site reports something, doesn't mean it actually occurred in Australia.

[oberliner]

192. OK - just curious

I'll add Australia to the OP thread title.

[MH1]

194. Excellent, thanks.

This isn't the first time I've add this annoyance with a post. I wish more people would be sure that the general location (region) of an event is clear to people who aren't from that place. I guess I'm probably guilty too when it comes to places in the US that I think everyone knows (Dallas, Chicago, etc).

[treestar]

159. Where did this happen?

and is it meant to imply the current attacks on Gaza are justified?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

164. Pray tell, what imbecile would link the two, in any way?/nt

[LeftishBrit]

182. Australia. And No.

Just a very nasty and criminal piece of behaviour by some young thugs. And terrorizing children for no reason but their ethnicity.

[LittleBlue]

160. Despicable. These teens need to turn their lives around

Running on a bus to terrorize Jewish children, I can't see anything but prison as their future. What do their parents think of this?