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Free Calls to Israel, The Palestinian Territories and Afghanistan (Pre-Paid, Post-Paid Mobiles & Home Phones) @ Telstra

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Free Calls to Israel, The Palestinian Territories and Afghanistan (Pre-Paid, Post-Paid Mobiles & Home Phones) @ Telstra
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Scrooge McDeal on 12/10/2023 - 18:30 telstra.com.au (1522 clicks)
Last edited 24/01/2024 - 16:07 by 4 other users

Free calls to Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Afghanistan
We're making it easier to stay in touch with friends and family in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

If you’re a Telstra customer with family and friends in the Middle East or Afghanistan, we know that getting in touch is what’s most important right now, not the cost of the call. That’s why calls are now free from Australia to Israel, the Palestinian territories, or Afghanistan.

From 12:01am AEDT tonight (Wednesday, 11 October), we’ll be providing free calls to Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Afghanistan to help you get in touch with those you care about.

This applies for both pre-paid and post-paid mobiles as well as home phones and will be free until 24 October.

Please keep the comments respectful

I am posting for anyone that might find this useful.

Update: Extended for another month.

Update, 19 January 2024: We know how important it is for many of our customers in Australia to continue to stay connected with this region right now. To help support you, we're again extending this offer of free calls to Israel and the Palestinian Territories until 31 March 2024.

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closed Comments

          • Soldier on 12/10/2023 - 19:15
            +18

            @niknikniknik: I guess defending your home and citizens is only allowed for certain people…

          • leelemon on 12/10/2023 - 19:20
            +16

            @niknikniknik: Two things can be true - what Hamas did was abhorrent.
            The Israeli government are also monsters.
            That's not left wing indoctrination. That's having the ability to hold more than one thought in one's head.

            • veritas_mendax on 12/10/2023 - 21:32

              @leelemon: I see niknikniknik the coward is only selectively responding to replies! You make a good point

              • niknikniknik on 12/10/2023 - 23:25
                +1

                @veritas_mendax: Ahaha sure, I'll be the coward if it avoids being the person running their mouth with personal attacks behind a keyboard, instead of contributing anything to the discussion.

          • Magpye on 12/10/2023 - 20:00
            +13

            @niknikniknik: Hamas doesn't exist in a vacuum.
            It's an organic response to hatred with hatred, and to point at the latest monstrous act is exactly how the media, and those that control it, wants everyone to react. Israeli is just doing the 'crying sister' act.

            I'd venture that most people don't support further acts of murder, by either side, but are cognisant enough of the decades of misery that has been enforced in the region, to not immediately feel sympathetic to the narrative that is been played by the Israeli government.

            The Palestinians and Jewish people have repeatedly shown that they can live together in peace, it's the governments that seem to have failed in their duty in diplomacy.

            • SolidlyIrresponsible on 12/10/2023 - 21:45

              @Magpye: “We are battling beastly people and we are conducting ourselves accordingly.”

            • niknikniknik on 12/10/2023 - 23:27
              +1

              @Magpye: Agree that Israel's past actions may have caused anger in the region. But people are referring to this attack as Palestinians "defending their home" when it was clearly an attack directed at civilians.

          • veritas_mendax on 12/10/2023 - 20:20
            +1

            @niknikniknik: Left wing? Fuc* off, I’m a latte sipping lefty don’t make this a left vs right thing

            • niknikniknik on 12/10/2023 - 20:47
              -1

              @veritas_mendax: A typical trait of the left is their inability to put forward their argument without resorting to an emotional and rude response.

              • RecklessMonkeys on 12/10/2023 - 21:25

                @niknikniknik: "The left" . Sure you're not being a bit rude by insulting half the country?

                • niknikniknik on 12/10/2023 - 23:34

                  @RecklessMonkeys: Not rude, just a fitting response to the comment above. Also, a medical study conducted on the topic of Israel vs Palestine found that left leaning opinions changed due to emotional reactions far more than right leaning people. So there is some science behind the claim :)

              • veritas_mendax on 12/10/2023 - 21:29
                +1

                @niknikniknik: Bruh. I think Hamas are cun*s. Just don’t know why you feel like you have to say ‘left wing indoctrination’. That in itself is emotional’. Sad.

                • niknikniknik on 12/10/2023 - 23:50
                  +1

                  @veritas_mendax: Try articulate that opinion with some more refinement, it would give you some credibility. The alternate opinion is labelled as "western media indoctrination" so I don't see how how stating "left wing" is problematic.

          • XxAiDsTaRxX on 12/10/2023 - 22:22
            +4

            @niknikniknik: Are you bloody serious? Israel stole there country, murdered or was it genocide thousands. Bomb them day in day out. Gone on full invasion 5 times now with there bulldog the US which they basically ownnow… domination, humiliation and segregation. Imprisoned kids, the way i see it israel brought this shit on themselves. 75 years of this apartheid state. Absolute joke that western countries leaders and us owned news spreads rhis garbage. Terrorists ? Why doesnt the bighest one in the world look into the damn mirror…

            It seem the us is broke and needs more bloody unjustified wars.. where is there so called humanitarian aid that they like to boast about.all these countries do is murder and bully.

            • niknikniknik on 12/10/2023 - 23:20
              +2

              @XxAiDsTaRxX: Israel is a sovereign nation that was targetted by an attack that was not a military operation, but rather a direct assault on civilians. This is the definition of terrorism. If the attacks were on Israeli military assets or a land grab, that would still be not good, but wouldn't be as much of a violation as what we've seen in recent days. Thus, based on that event, the response from Israel in trying to destroy Hamas is justified. I don't condone any violence to civilians from either side, but can't fault a desire to destroy Hamas.

              • capslock janitor on 13/10/2023 - 00:34
                +2

                @niknikniknik: Israel literally annexing Palestine by illegal settlements
                . IL Committing human rights violations; against international laws yet nobody holds them accountable

          • subwoofer on 13/10/2023 - 19:31

            @niknikniknik: 99.9% of Isreali victims are women and children. The isrealis incarcerate children under 12 and subject them to physical and sexual abuse. They harvest and sell Palestinian organs when they die without their consent. They subject the Palestinians to a kangaroo court where the conviction rate is 99.9%. They take advantage of Mothers and their terminally ill children and give them a choice to either become snitches or they deny treatment to the child. They subjected Gaza to a blockade where they count the calories that enter Gaza boasting at times they want to put Gazans on a Diet. Animals indead.

            The world doesn't care about them, it's either they fight for their freedom or go the path of the dodo

        • King Steuart on 12/10/2023 - 19:08

          Where do you stand on your government's declaration of Hamas being a terrorist organisation?

        • incipient on 12/10/2023 - 19:15
          +5

          You forgot about the 3000yrs+ of history that has made it absolutely impossible to determine really who "owns" what. They've been killing each other for so long in that part of the world it's basically just a pastime these days.

          • MrThing on 12/10/2023 - 19:53
            +3

            @incipient: boils down to "god gave us the land"

            so religion. kthx, will never be solved, just shovel more bodies into the human grinding machine, person with the biggest human grinding machine wins

            • incipient on 12/10/2023 - 20:42
              +3

              @MrThing: I think the early ones in this region were "God is at the top of our temple". But blaming religion is a tad simplistic. Basically people are dicks. Plenty of wars and fighting over "I want his farm". Lots of violent atheists and agnostics.

          • subwoofer on 13/10/2023 - 19:33

            @incipient: The Ancient israelites occupied Jerusalem for less than 200 years, the Arabs have lived there continuously for thousands of years

            • incipient on 13/10/2023 - 19:52

              @subwoofer: The Israelites appeared roughly 1200BC, then had issues around 700BC when then assyrians came to say hi, then appeared again 600-someybong BC briefly, then came back again 500 something BC, then the Greeks showed up for a while, then a bit an Egyptian/ptolemaic bit, but seems Judaism was around? Then got squashed again around 100bc, then the Romans showed up for a while, then the Jews revolted against them in about 200AD along with christ appearing somewhere in there. No clue what happened to about 600AD when the Persians came a knocking. Then we had a few different caliphates with ongoing Jewish/Christian rebellions. A few dudes on horses showed up in 1100AD or so, and now I've got bored.

              So yeah, in response to your comment. It's complex.

              • subwoofer on 13/10/2023 - 20:02

                @incipient: They ruled less than 200 years, also you can't tell me that that country that called itself israel in 48 and the people that parachuted into Palestine from Europe/Russia etc are the ancient Israelites. Isreal is a colonial state that ethnically cleansed 750 thousands people. Most European Jewry were converts who have no connection to Palestine whatsoever.

        • gto21 on 12/10/2023 - 21:21
          +1

          A specific group initially celebrated Hamas' attacks, but they're now expressing grievances about the intense IDF bombings. This situation reflects a common pattern: people tend to cry foul when faced with evident retaliation.

        • fusion17 on 13/10/2023 - 09:54
          +1

          Can you link me to unbaised historical timelines that shows this?

          Everything ive read suggests Israel history predates palestine/arab in that land. Over the years it was taken over by various groups (as the norm back then) till it became primarily Arab, while the Israelis were forced to disperse over the world.
          Then of course we know the recent history.

          If youre going by just recent history then white Australia have been around for 100yrs and the traditional owners shouldnt even get a mention?

          • niknikniknik on 13/10/2023 - 13:14

            @fusion17: Very good point. People will cherry pick how far back they want to go when it comes to deciding who land truly belongs to. As a rule respecting person who enjoys 21st century freedoms, we must rely on internationally recognised borders of sovereign nations as the official measure.

    • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2023 - 18:44
      +5

      War. and natural disasters. Lets not talk politics though. Its just sad full stop.

    • BOGOF on 12/10/2023 - 18:45
      +2

      Read this
      https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67039975

    • AustriaBargain on 12/10/2023 - 18:56
      +10

      Israel was hell bent on war with Hamas, provoked Hamas by allowing illegal settlements on the West Bank, got war and illegal crimes in return. Just endless war really.

      • rhomax on 12/10/2023 - 19:05
        +15

        Not sure Hamas needed provocation when their sole reason to exist is to destroy Israel. Talk about victim blaming

        • Magpye on 12/10/2023 - 20:10
          +9

          Y'know, if actually you follow that train of logic, you'll actually arrive at the proper, but far more complex answer, not the convenient one that's been handed out.

          No well adjusted person wakes up with the desire to completely eradicate an entire group of people off the face of the earth.

          The real trick is determining which side that statement actually refers to.

          • Ademos on 12/10/2023 - 21:10

            @Magpye:

            No well adjusted person wakes up with the desire to completely eradicate an entire group of people off the face of the earth.

            You must be new to….oh. All of human history, including a large part of the UK's expansionism.

            • Magpye on 12/10/2023 - 21:31
              +2

              @Ademos: You do realise you've simply endorsed my statement by pointing how it's failed previously?

              Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

              • Ademos on 12/10/2023 - 22:18

                @Magpye: Point is an awful lot of those considered "well adjusted", and otherwise well to do, have woken up with that precise desire.

                I do congratulate you on having higher values, though….although claiming it failed when, you know, it ain't euro's asking politely for a voice in their own countries parliament is slightly forest for the tree's.

        • mrkorrupt on 12/10/2023 - 20:33

          But Israel said d and was saying the same thing but just cause they are an ally the media doesn't report it

        • capslock janitor on 13/10/2023 - 00:36
          +1

          And why do you think they were formed to destroy Israel, hmmm?

        • subwoofer on 13/10/2023 - 19:35

          Isreal is a colonizer, an invader, the Palestinians are freedom fighters, Palestine from the river to the sea

    • leelemon on 12/10/2023 - 19:18
      +32

      Many years ago, a lot of Jewish people emigrated to Israel due to war (think WWI, WWII).
      The people who originally lived there, who were Muslim got pushed out.
      Over time, Israel has been taking over Palestinian (Muslim) land and killing Palestinians to put it very lightly..
      From this, an extremist group called Hamas came into prominence.
      They attacked Israelis the other day (some reports saying 1000+).
      Now Israel is 'defending' itself.

      Whatever side people are on, I think most agree that the situation is very sad because civilians are being killed and tortured by Israeli government forces and Hamas (Muslim Extremist Group).

      • Goonos on 12/10/2023 - 19:56
        +11

        I would add to this that it was the British government that declared that land in Palestine be a national home for Jewish population as Britain was the colonial power of this region. Palestinians pushed back and war broke out. Israel won this war and drove out a lot of Palestinians. Ever since there have been many conflicts and fighting over this land. Israel also say they lay claim to this land from Biblical times.

      • Ghost47 on 12/10/2023 - 19:57
        +9

        Whatever side people are on

        People really shouldn't be on any side because neither side is good in this conflict.

        The recent media coverage particularly in Sydney around Israelis and Palestinians has been particularly appalling IMO. Lots of ignorance on both sides.

        • Goonos on 12/10/2023 - 20:09
          +1

          This. Both sides have blood on their hands. People who are personally affected will have their own perspectives on who is right and who is wrong. The rest of the world should really stfu as it was the worlds meddling in the first place that started this problem. The world should also take note that artificially shoving very different cultures together is a recipe for disaster.

          • SolidlyIrresponsible on 12/10/2023 - 20:30

            @Goonos: Some word of wisdom here. Respect. Quite rare in the degen land of the comment section.

        • subwoofer on 13/10/2023 - 19:43

          You should take a stand against tyranny, Palestinian and Israelis are not equal, one is a colonizer and the other is colonized, one is an invader and the other is invaded, one is besieged and the other is the henchmen.

      • gto21 on 12/10/2023 - 21:30
        +2

        Jews inhabited the land of Israel prior to the emergence of Islam.

        • subwoofer on 13/10/2023 - 19:40
          +1

          Jews ruled the land for less than 200 years of its 4000-year history.

      • Ademos on 12/10/2023 - 22:18
        -1

        Now talk about what the Palestinian's did when they were welcomed into other countries. Like, you know, staging coups against said leaders.

    • brendanm on 12/10/2023 - 19:30
      -3

      Idiots who believe in different skydaddies fighting over these skydaddies and what allegedly happened in books that were allegedly written thousands of years ago, where magical things happened in certain areas that are important to some of these skydaddies.

      • Ademos on 12/10/2023 - 21:11

        We only had a plebiscite recently on the favoured word of a skydaddy, and the "skydaddy's opinion" side got an awful lot of airtime.

      • OpticalCog on 13/10/2023 - 01:04

        fwiw they actually believe in the same skydaddy.

    • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2023 - 20:45

      Ignorance really is the least of your worries

    • jatbinks on 12/10/2023 - 21:34
      +3

      Hammas kills some ppl. Israel takes it as an excuse to resume it's decades long genocide on Palestinians, slaughtering whatever moves. Same old same old.

      • subwoofer on 13/10/2023 - 19:46
        +1

        Isreal uses hamas as a cartoon villain to justify the massacre of the Palestinians.99% of their victims are women and children. If they target Hamas fighters it's a different story

    • Jaysful on 13/10/2023 - 01:24
      +1

      A race to the bottom to see who can kill more civilians.

    • nathand on 13/10/2023 - 08:28

      Brief summary for this conflict is impossible.

  • mr_asstight on 12/10/2023 - 18:43
    -4

    Ignore covid, ignore ukraine, on to the next programming…

    • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2023 - 18:45
      +16

      Oh boy, another dumb (profanity) who has to make some conspiracy theory bs about death and suffering.

      Herrr government programming to controll da masses derrrr

      • CommuterPolluter on 12/10/2023 - 19:14
        -3

        They are all media narratives. It doesn’t need to be Government programming to be the case.

        • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2023 - 19:20
          +1

          The media has their own narratives on very real situations. Sure.

          There are people dying in the wars. That is a FACT.
          I don't want to argue sides here. I just want people to not push some bullshit about the very real fact that is the war(s) and the loss of innocent lives that downplays it.

          • CommuterPolluter on 12/10/2023 - 19:27
            -4

            @[Deactivated]: So many words to say nothing. Who said there was no war? Nobody said that.

            There is obviously a real tragedy which continues to unfold. What makes it programming is how the media presents it to make an argument for why Australians should do X or Y. You only need look at how the Ukraine conflict, which really has absolutely nothing to do with Australia, was presented to understand why Australia has donated over three quarters of a BILLION dollars to Ukraine.

            • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2023 - 19:35

              @CommuterPolluter: Not gonna have this conversation. We have two very different stances and aren't going to agree, so its pointless.
              Have a good night.

              • CommuterPolluter on 12/10/2023 - 19:52
                -2

                @[Deactivated]: Not interested in having a conversation, rather just make drive-by insults. Charming.

                • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2023 - 19:56
                  +1

                  @CommuterPolluter: No, I'm just not going to engage in stuff that realistically isn't going to lead anywhere as we both aren't going to shift.
                  I don't owe you a conversation. Hell, you aren't even the original person I replied to.
                  Now kindly please move on with your night as I'm trying to do also.

                  • CommuterPolluter on 12/10/2023 - 20:00

                    @[Deactivated]: You’re obviously a small-minded person if you go out of your way to insult people and then act like you’re above it when anybody calls you on it.

                    • [Deactivated] on 12/10/2023 - 20:02
                      +1

                      @CommuterPolluter: Ok man, I don't care.
                      I decided not to continue a conversation with you. Accept it and move the (profanity) on.

                      I'm going to block you now, because you're obviously not going to stop and I'm getting sick of my phone buzzing.

        • MrThing on 12/10/2023 - 19:51

          I got the vaccine and got covid…… its a hoax

  • kaddude on 12/10/2023 - 18:43
    +4

    Kudos to Telstra for doing this.

    • froogletom on 12/10/2023 - 18:46

      no kaddude Telstra for doing this

  • MauTauAja on 12/10/2023 - 18:45
    +5

    Ask Ellon musk for internet connection in Gaza

    • Bladeyyy21 on 12/10/2023 - 19:03
      +13

      That guy is a zionist flog. 0 chance he'll provide Palestinians with Starlink like he did for Ukraine

      • BoltThrower on 12/10/2023 - 19:22
        -2

        He legally can't. The moment communication is used for military means makes him an active participant in war. No matter which side you support, he's not authorized by the powers that be to do that and nor would he because another can of worms that opens is the recording and transmission of said sensitive communication. Top secret information.

        • NuttyGoodness on 12/10/2023 - 19:36
          +15

          Sure mate, and how is this NOT true for the Ukraine war that starlink is used in?

      • Techie4066 on 13/10/2023 - 01:34

        Even in Ukraine he randomly pulled their internet just because he felt like it. He also billed them some insane charges.

        • jalwa on 14/10/2023 - 00:23
          -1

          False and false. Please spend 15 minutes googling

  • bargaino on 12/10/2023 - 18:45
    +7

    I remember appreciating this sort of thing many years ago, when international call were expensive. And Telstra did not want to be seen profiting from disaster, understandably.

    But now that international calls are often cheaper than to a local mobile, it feels like virtue-signalling.

    • Grannular on 12/10/2023 - 18:49
      +6

      If they do nothing, people are unhappy. If they do something, you're unhappy. Can't win these days.

      • bargaino on 12/10/2023 - 18:53

        Maybe they could have a "this call is free RVA", rather than going to the media? Word would get around.
        Good deeds don't need to be yelled.

        But doesn't everybody use internet apps for international call these days? unless it is a free inclusion with their plans.

        • deme on 12/10/2023 - 19:18
          +1

          What is a RVA?

          • bargaino on 12/10/2023 - 19:54

            @deme: Sorry, telephone jargon. And it was meant to be outside the quotes. Recorded Voice Announcement.

    • MrThing on 12/10/2023 - 19:50
      +2

      uhhhhh, mobile to mobile calls are free

      what kind of potato phone plan are you on

      • bargaino on 12/10/2023 - 19:53

        The sort of people who pay per-minute to Israel are probably on a landline.

        • MrThing on 12/10/2023 - 19:58

          so old people, gotcha

  • CheapThriller2021 on 12/10/2023 - 18:52
    +8

    Do you want to know the fact about Palestine and Israel?

    Read some books of Anthony Loewenstein. His best-selling book - The Palestine Laboratory.

    [Antony Loewenstein is an independent journalist, bestselling author, filmmaker and co-founder of Declassified Australia. He’s written for The Guardian, The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, and many others. His books include Pills, Powder and Smoke, Disaster Capitalism, and My Israel Question. His documentary films include Disaster Capitalism and the Al Jazeera English films West Africa’s Opioid Crisis and Under the Cover of Covid. He was based in East Jerusalem 2016–2020.

    You can search on YouTube also.

    • AustriaBargain on 12/10/2023 - 18:57
      +3

      The opioid doco was quite good. It’s in the Aljazeera app.

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