Australia & NZ.

The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) applauds the passage last week by the Israeli Knesset of the Jewish Nation-State Law. Although largely symbolic, it is nevertheless a significant piece of legislation because it is a reasonable, logical and indeed positive initiative because it is a clear statement of the principles upon …

CAIRNS, QLD. It’s Never too late to celebrate! This past Tuesday, the 10th of July at the Chabad Centre for Jewish life in North QLD (a division of RARA) in Cairns, Grant took on a new label becoming “Bar Mitzvah”ed- a full fledged Jewish adult, albeit, well into his adulthood …

New Zealand’s state-owned television network, TVNZ –  TV New Zealand reported on the Gaza riots in no fewer than three bulletins during their One News show in June.  Following a complaint, TVNZ has admitted that they were inaccurate when reporting the number of casualties as “hundreds of people have been …

National Party leader, Simon Bridges, has acknowledged that New Zealand “got it wrong” by co-sponsoring United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 alongside Malaysia, Senegal, and Venezuela. Though New Zealand First leader, Winston Peters, challenged the process at the time – that the decision was not put to cabinet – Mr …

A largely uneventful, and small, far right rally was held in Sydney on Sunday 24 June. The rally was organised by the True Blue Crew (TBC), a far right group that was formed in Melbourne in late 2015. The “Aussie Pride Flag March” rally was made up of a group …

The Zionist Federation of Australia calls upon Senator Richard Di Natale as leader of The Australian Greens to abide by its core principles and condemn the eco terrorism being perpetrated by Palestinians in Gaza against Israel. Over the last few months, Palestinian terrorists have been engaging in wanton environmental destruction …

Amongst the recent legitimate outcry about the Trump administration’s policy of separating children from their parents on the southern border of the United States, many commentators around the world have been quick to raise analogies with the treatment of Jews by the Nazis. In New Zealand, cartoonists and columnists made …

This week US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, announced the US withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC). Haley stated that after a year of seeking to bring reform to the ‘deeply flawed’ institution that unfairly targets Israel while ignoring the behaviour of rogue states with ‘awful …

A  line was crossed last week when Charles Sturt University students turned up at a “politically incorrect”-themed party in costumes drawn from three of the most horrendous episodes in history. The celebration marked the end of semester. A number of students arrived at Wagga Wagga’s Black Swan Hotel wearing Ku Klux …

New Zealand has yet again supported a one-sided, biased United Nations General Assembly resolution that censured Israel, while ignoring the role of terrorist organisation Hamas. Another emergency session against Israel was held to condemn Israel (while systematically turning a blind eye to the world’s worst perpetrators of gross and systematic …

Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) National Chairman Mark Leibler AC and Executive Director Dr Colin Rubenstein AM today wrote to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to express AIJAC’s “sincere appreciation for Australia’s principled stance at the UN General Assembly by voting in favour of the US amendment to the unbalanced …

MEDIA STATEMENT from the ECAJ – Executive Council of Australian Jewry regarding the interview  of Rev Dr Stephen Sizer on Radio National Breakfast on Good Friday, 30 March 2018. The ABC has written to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) apologising for inaccuracies and for the omission of material context …

As Israelis, and Jews around the world, celebrate the 70th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Jewish state, Palestinian Arabs and their supporters protest the very existence of Israel, in what they call Nakba Day (Arabic for ‘catastrophe’) As Israelis, and Jews around the world, celebrate the 70th anniversary of …

This week New Zealand’s Prime Minister, yet again, pointed an accusing finger at Israel for the “devastating one-sided loss of life” in the conflict on the Gaza border. Ms Ardern could perhaps be excused for getting it wrong, in speaking so soon after the conflict. However, as the week unfolded …

Late in 2016 many New Zealanders were appalled at the stance taken by our government in co-sponsoring UN Resolution 2334, which was seen as a biased, counter-productive and unbalanced censuring of Israel. A large number of Israel supporters responded with actions such as letter writing, a march on Parliament and …

Speech at Nations Bless Israel event Sydney. 29 April 2018. Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment? But by the time …

Nations Bless Israel. Blessed are you O Lord our G-d, ruler of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and allowed us to reach this day. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לזְּמַן הַזֶּה. My parents – both survivors – came to this great country …

Last year, 2017 Yassmin Abdel Magied posted the following insult in reference to ANZAC day – Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. ANZAC Day is commemorated annually on April 25th in Australia and New Zealand and is held close to the heart of Australians. In 1915, Australia and New Zealand witnessed an …

Seventy years after the crushing defeat of Nazi Germany, Nazi ideas and groups are re-emerging throughout the West. Although Nazism remains on the political fringes, adherents are increasingly active and emboldened in propagating the antisemitism, white supremacy, racist hate, and homophobia that are intrinsic to Nazi ideology. In Australia, a …

Green MPs Marama Davidson and Golriz Ghahraman demonstrated selective outrage last week, suggesting that their concern for human rights in the Middle East extends only so far as Israel can be blamed. In the space of one week they stridently and publicly condemned Israel for protecting its border and population …