Fraser's view is naive and misleading

The Age has finally deigned to publish a letter critical of Hamas quisling Malcolm Fraser. Johnny Baker refutes one aspect of the former PM's drivel filled apology to the terrorist organisation published earlier this week. There are many more matters which should be raised in a full rebuttal of the former PM's article but this is a good start:-

FORMER prime minster Malcolm Fraser's call for the Australian Government to engage with Hamas (Comment, 11/8) is as misguided as it is misleading. Even more disturbing than his naive political exhortations is Fraser's sinister claim that the reason the Government has not adopted his personal approach is for ''fear of criticism from the Jewish lobby''. This raises the ancient canard of pointing the finger at a minority group and suggesting it exercises undue power through illegitimate means.

Fraser knows that Jews make up less than 1 per cent of the Australian population. He also knows that it is an articulate and engaged community that is committed to democratic processes. At the end of the day, no force in the world can prevent a Government from doing what it sees as being in the best interests of this country.

Perhaps the reality is simpler. Australia, in keeping with most Western democracies, is simply carrying out good policy in refusing to engage with an extremist fundamentalist group. One can only be gratified that there is bipartisan support in the Australian Parliament for promoting moderation rather than extremism.

Johnny Baker, Caulfield North