It’s pretty hard to beat walking around the streets of Jerusalem with crowds everywhere, restaurants full and a clear mixing once again of Jews and Arabs in places like the Mamilla Mall and other common seam lines as positive signs of the political temperature cooling, if not the hot summer …

On the 14th of July 1997, 20 years ago, a bridge commissioned by Maccabi World Union (MWU) collapsed during the opening ceremony of the 15th Maccabiah Games in Ramat Gan, Israel. Four Australians – Yetty Bennett, Elizabeth Sawicki, Greg Small & Warren Zines died. Over 60 Australians including Sasha Elterman …

LOVE IS IN THE AIR (with apologies to John Paul Young) Love is in the air everywhere I look around Love is in the air every sight and every sound And I don’t know if I’m being foolish Don’t know if I’m being wise……. So things are getting a little …

This week we will be celebrating the 69th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Jewish State – Independence Day, Yom Ha’atzmaut – preceded by Yom Hazikaron where we remember those who fell in the defence of the State of Israel. This comes on the back of efforts formalised 120 years …

It’s AIPAC time again. A year ago about 18,000 members of American Jewry’s prime pro-Israel advocacy organisation was trying to work out whether and how to welcome Donald Trump to its annual conference. And let’s be clear, since Israel is now unfortunately struggling to retain general American bipartisan support, that …

As Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “Wow!” What a fantastic week for Israel, Australia and the Jewish People!!! Kol Hakavod to Prime Ministers Malcolm Turnbull and Benjamin Netanyahu – and the entire delegations on both sides – on a historic occasion replete with warmth, great friendship, shared values, understanding, intersections of …

What a difference a month makes. By now I am not sure if anyone even remembers UN Security Council Resolution 2334 passed on the 23rd of December when the US chose not to exercise its veto. President Obama is gone. Although he strongly supported Israel in the security and intelligence …

Over the past month or so Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Lieberman had cautioned members of their own government against making any rash statements or legislative proposals in anticipation of what President elect Trump might or might not give a green light to next year, in order to avoid …

Since his election, Donald Trump has said remarkably little on Israel at all. Yet it is rather amazing to see how many people are certain he will do this or that based on whoever they choose to listen to of Trump’s family members, friends or advisors of the day – …

As we approach 5777-2016/17 we are entering a momentous year of anniversaries for the Jewish People. There are many significant markers, but it behoves us to recall at least some of them. It will be 120 years since the first Zionist Congress in Basle in August 1897. It was at …

Whilst this opinion piece around PM Netanyahu’s speech to the UN was written before the passing of Shimon Peres z”l it would be a gross omission to not acknowledge the life of one of the most important figures of our time.  A man who did so much for Israel and …

Leadership comes in various forms. Just over a week ago saw the Zionist Federation of Australia’s 10th Biennial Jewish Educators’ Conference. Hundreds of participants gathered for a unique event in the Jewish world. Back in 1997 when it was conceived and then first held in 1998 there was no such …

Opinion piece on France and French Jewry. As in any complex and multi layered situation one cannot expect to become an expert on anything in a few short days. So what follows are merely impressions formed after our time in France, of a community struggling with its future. French Jewry is clearly …

Game of Thrones (GoT) is looking more and more like a straightforward yarn compared to the changing alliances inside Israeli politics. And some of those who considered Lieberman’s re-entry to government a potential disaster just a few weeks ago, now GoT like look to him as the potential fixer. Prime …

“The end of democracy” trumpeted the headlines. 5 Prime Ministers in 6 years and half the time without an election! Oh hang on, that’s Australia. Israel. Same Prime Minister consistently since 2009, one who has been democratically elected and re-elected by the people, but who goes through a clumsy somewhat …

What a week or two. The AIPAC Conference in the United States followed by Purim.  In terms of masks and fancy dress, hard to tell them apart. In fact the whole United States election process seems like an extended Purim spiel. And we Jews, whether in the USA or here …

Retired US Congressman Barney Frank, long time liberal Democrat and strong Obama supporter, repeated two interesting questions last week in Sydney that continually baffle observers of the Middle East. How is it that Israel, the only liberal democracy in the region, surrounded by bad guys and badder guys has such …

It was the 16th of September when Mahmoud Abbas set off the recent troubles in Israel by escalating a national dispute into a religious one with his call to protect the Temple Mount from the Jews who he claimed were “desecrating Al Aqsa with their dirty feet”. On the national/territorial …

It’s a little surreal sitting here in a coffee shop in the centre of Jerusalem witnessing the ever changing political landscape and evolving events. The streets are definitely fuller than they were a week ago and Israelis are getting out to restaurants again, taking advantage of the beautiful weather. Not …

The chagim of 5776 have ushered in a new year that has so far been quite a shocking one for the citizens of Israel. The so called “moderate”, President Mahmoud Abbas, now in the 10th year of his 4 year term, has been inflaming the situation and inciting the wave …