Today, talking about facts on the ground in war-ravaged Gaza can lead to being threatened with job loss, being sued and pushed to be silent.
An oppressive campaign of “cancelling” is being prosecuted by those in powerful positions who don’t want the near one-year genocidal war to end. With a compliant government and media, they hope to get away with it.
But they will not, because more and more people are speaking out.
Take pianist Jayson Gillham, whose second solo recital was cancelled by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) after he dedicated it to all the journalists who have been killed in Gaza. He is alleged to have misused a public platform to share his political views.
Before premiering “Witness”, by composer Connor D’Netto, Gillham had said: “Over the last 10 months, Israel has killed more than 100 Palestinian journalists. A number of these have been targeted assassinations of prominent journalists as they were travelling in marked press vehicles or wearing their press jackets. The killing of journalists is a war crime in international law, and it is done in an effort to prevent the documentation and broadcasting of war crimes to the world.
“In addition to the role of journalists who bear witness, the word Witness in Arabic is Shaheed, which also means Martyr.”
This is not a “political view” — they are the facts.
Compared to World War II, where 69 journalists were killed, and Ukraine, where 94 have been killed so far, as of July, 160 journalists have been killed in Gaza.
Gillham's choice to play “Witness”, presumably with MSO’s approval, is itself political. Artists have always sought to engage with difficult subject matter and challenge audiences.
D’Netto composed the work for Gillham to perform at a fundraising concert for the Palestine Children’s Relief earlier this year, but he wasn’t able to. The two artists decided to record it and donate the proceeds to that charity.
It’s not the music, or the performance, that so upset the MSO. It was Gillham’s reminder that a genocide in Gaza is killing journalists, among tens of thousands of others, and that this is a war crime.
MSO initially said it had cancelled his concert due to “safety” concerns. Later, it said it had made a mistake in doing so (after musicians passed a motion of no confidence in management). He was invited to perform again, but with “new conditions” — presumably not to mention the war.
Gillham is seeking a public apology from the MSO, saying it has no right to discriminate against him (Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 2010) or violate conditions under the Fair Work Act 2009.
The MSO has dismissed his request, while also admitting he has a right to express an opinion. A review, headed by musician and former Labor minister Peter Garrett, has been formed.
But new MSO manager Richard Wigley is digging in, hiring legal firm Arnold Bloch Leibler to demand Gillham retract his requests for an apology, an affirmation of artists’ right to speak freely and compensation for reputational damage.
The same firm has lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission against journalist Mary Kostakidis for her alleged breach of racial discrimination laws in her social media posts. Kostakidis has been outspoken against the genocide in Gaza.
To add to these outrages, public broadcasters have been sacked, public servants have been threatened with jobloss for signing an open letter calling on Labor to stop trading arms with Israel, and teachers have been threatened for wearing a keffiyeh, or talking with students about the war on Gaza.
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation boss Mike Burgess has gone as far as to declare that anyone who expresses support for Hamas should not be allowed into Australia: it doesn’t matter that it is the elected government in Gaza and is trying to secure a ceasefire.
The anti-terrorism laws of two decades ago, which have largely remained on the books, were also aimed at silencing public opposition to the invasion and occupation of Iraq, or discussing how to support the resistance.
Today, the resistance in Gaza is ordinary Palestinians trying to survive as best they can while calling for a long-lasting ceasefire and just settlement for the wholly disproportionate war. It is also Hamas.
A democratic country would not shut people down for using any platform to talk about facts when a genocide is underway and the government continues to side with the oppressor.
Green Left has always sided with Palestinians’ brave struggle for self-determination. If you support their right to live in peace and security, and everyone’s right to talk about stopping genocide, become a Green Left supporter today.