There is no doubt that President Trump is a friend of Israel. At the same time, he is not a member of the World Zionist Organisation. The question is the nature of the friendship, which is looking increasingly in some important areas, like that of a parent with a young child, when the parent ‘knows […]

We are nearing the final stages of the first phase of the hostage deal. Israel has received the bodies of 4 of those murdered in captivity by Hamas – the 2 Bibas children, Kfir and Ariel, as well as their mother Shiri, and 84 year old Oded Lifshitz. All taken from their homes in Nir […]

Emily, Romi and Doron are now back home with their families. The whole of Israel and the Jewish world, as well as many many supporters are relieved, elated and thankful. Most would say it is a bad deal. But one that is worthwhile. Both can be true at the same time. For supporters or detractors […]

Much has changed in Israel in the past few weeks, whilst many things remain the same. Gidon Sa’ar has tried to rescue his political career by rejoining the Netanyahu government. Whether it will work for him or not, time will tell, but it has certainly worked for Prime Minister Netanyahu, enlarging his coalition and providing […]

Theodore Herzl was born in Hungary in 1860 and moved to Paris in 1891, from where he reported for the Viennese newspaper, Neue Freie Presse. It was there that three years later, he witnessed the deep antisemitism and hypocrisy of the French people and the French government, in the infamous Dreyfus Affair. Sadly, if he […]

The end of the Golden Age for Australian Jewry? Maybe………. Some serious people claim it is. I am not exactly sure when the Golden Age was during my life time. The vicious anti-Israel resolutions and sometimes violence on campuses in the 1970’s? The 15 years we endured United Nations resolution 3379 that equated Zionism with […]

Nobody gives a speech like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His address to the US Congress was exceptional. High on rhetoric and emotion and largely well received. Notwithstanding some notable absentees, it was a tour de force. While his 2015 address to Congress during the tenure of US President Barack Obama was seen as partisan […]

What is Hezbollah? What does it want? Is Hezbollah a terrorist organisation? Why is everyone talking about the possibility of war between Israel and Hezbollah? Shouldn’t the UN or the international community be doing something to stop this? What about Iran? Why will a war between Hezbollah and Israel be terrible? What are the relevant […]

Sharing our pain, experiences and togetherness Sharni Briner, 12 July 2024, Australian Jewish News https://www.australianjewishnews.com/sharing-our-pain-experiences-and-togetherness/ The Diaspora and Israel are still co-dependent on the other’s survival and flourishing. What is Jewish solidarity in 2024? This question cannot be considered without acknowledging two sides of the coin that make up the modern Jewish identity – Israel […]

Australia must apply real pressure on Hezbollah and Iran over Israel Bren Carlill, Canberra Times, 9 July 2024 https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8686439/australia-must-apply-real-pressure-on-hezbollah-iran-over-israel/?cs=14246 The October 7 Hamas invasion of southern Israel, and the war it launched, came out of the blue. But for the last nine months, in northern Israel, Hezbollah and Israel have been drifting towards war. The […]

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is a man under huge pressure on multiple fronts. Some of his own making and some not. Firstly, defending Israel against the genocidal intent of Iran and its proxies. Anyone who was hesitant about the necessity of operating in Rafah and securing the so called ‘Philadelphi Corridor,’ stretching 14 km along […]

On Friday 24 May, the International Court of Justice handed down an order by a vote of 13–2 that was widely interpreted as calling on Israel to halt its military operation in Gaza. Certainly, this is how Australian media interpreted it. This from the ABC, by way of example: “The strike came two days after […]