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 […]

Australia should be concerned by a court that breaks its own rules Bren Carlill, Canberra Times, 27 May 2024 The International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor Karim Khan has announced that he is applying to the Court to issue arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and defence minister, as well as three Hamas leaders. The move is […]

We have been through turbulent times before and each period, for those who experienced it themselves, left deep imprints. Just some examples. Following the Yom Kippur war in 1973, university campuses in Australia became uncomfortable and dangerous places for Jewish students. The Australian Union of Students proposed and promoted anti-Israel resolutions cloaked in language that […]

On 20 May 2024, the International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor Karim Khan announced that he would be applying for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. His statement is here. There are significant problems with his accusations, judicial over reach and circumvention of process. This factsheet will help explain what […]

To paraphrase Micah Goodman, the bind that Israel is in, is that to ensure its long-term existence, Israel needs to be loved by the West and yet, simultaneously, feared by its enemies in the Middle East.   Both are required.   When Israel is attacked, sympathy is with it.   We may have forgotten already, […]

By Alon Cassuto This oped originally appeared in the Australian Jewish News on 12 April 2024 Zionism is not just a political movement; it is a symbol of pride, a beacon of hope, and a source of inspiration. It stands as testament to the power of self-determination, the miraculous journey of an ancient people who, […]