| [verbatim Lipstadt trial transcripts]
Melbourne, January 21, 2000
DAVID IRVING is barred from Australia and savours the irony. His daughter, now living in Brisbane, is an Australian citizen and, he tells a group of journalists with evident glee, she is a civil servant. But if Irving derives a quirky satisfaction from his Australian connections, he is deadly serious when it comes to discussing the Machiavellian machinations of what he terms "the gang" -- the all-seeing, all-knowing international Jewish conspiracy that he is convinced is out to get him. In a curious about-turn, Irving turned to Australia -- at least in one of its Jewish manifestations -- to bolster his case when he rose to present his long and often rambling opening statement aimed at showing how Lipstadt had damaged his career. "This very day," declared Irving in a gravelly baritone that filled the court, "the Australia/Israel Review has published in Sydney a presumably well-informed article, coming as it does from their corner, which provides one missing link in why St. Martin's Press finally terminated their contract to publish my book 'Goebbels, Mastermind of the Third Reich'". He then proceeded to triumphantly quote the paragraph as justification for his fundamental contention. One of the catalysts for the case, according to the Australia /Israel Review, was Irving's experience with American publishers St. Martin's Press who after being warned by Lipstadt and others about Irving's approach to history then cancelled its agreement to publish Irving's book. By citing the Australia/Israel
Review's assertion, Irving was able to go on
confidently and declare that "these defendants [Lipstadt
and Penguin Books] have done very real damage to my
professional existence." |
Friday, January 21, 2000 |
THE
AUSTRALIAN CONNECTION
write
to David Irving