Tag Archives: Israel

Over and over I keep hearing the word “narrative”. Most often it is spoken by people who insist on the importance of understanding and respecting the “Palestinian narrative.” How many people have actually paused to consider what “narrative” means? More importantly, how should we respond to a narrative that is …

Notwithstanding the constant polarisation that especially his domestic words and deeds seem to generate, on some foreign policy matters President Trump seems to have very wide American support. A case in point is his recently announced Afghanistan policy. Candidate Trump campaigned against increasing America’s military role there and was very …

One of the most misrepresented and emotionally loaded issues about Israel – and there is a smorgasbord to choose from – is its security barrier.  This is one of the issues that featured prominently in a recent programme on Maori TV (One World – He Ao Kotahi) where the narrator …

 I am a Zionist. If I announced that, on walking into a party in New Zealand, I would quite likely get a worse reaction than if I declared that I am a P-addicted, ISIS sympathising prostitute. It’s not the kind of thing that one can state in polite company, at …

29 July 2017 saw an anti-Israel rally in Auckland’s Aotea Square that had been billed as “Alaqsa solidarity rally” to protest against Israel’s “security measures that require Palestinians to enter through metal detectors to go pray” (sic). These measures were removed by Israel before the day of the rally, after …

Big new developments in the case against World Vision for funding terror linked groups in Gaza.   The Israeli Authorities have now confirmed all the claims Andrew Hamilton made back in 2012/13. Posted below the  letter to the Australian Foreign Minister and a Press Release. Regards Andrew Hamilton. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The …

I have just returned from an overseas vacation with my family. My husband is Israeli and for some reason, I will sometimes get nervous if people ask where he comes from. Despite the fact that we never travel to particularly “unfriendly” countries or areas, you never can tell what sort …

I #LoveIsraelBecause ours are a visionary people. In 1912 Yosef Yekutiel learned that numerous Jews participated in the Olympics and won medals. He envisioned Jewish athletes winning medals, not for the countries of their residence but for their homeland, Israel. After the war, his vision was denied by the Olympic …

On Monday afternoon, the President of the United States, Donald Trump touched down in Israel after a visit to Saudi Arabia. The flight from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to Tel Aviv, Israel was an historic one given it was the first direct flight between the two countries, which have no official diplomatic relations. Prime …

Thank you, Prime Minister Netanyahu. I want to thank you and Sara for hosting us for what has been an unforgettable visit to this very special land. I also want to thank Chairman Yitzchak Molcho, Acting Director Ayelet Shiloh-Tamir, and Chief Operating Officer Dalia Lazar, for hosting us today in …

“Say It Proud!” It’s about time! Actually, past time. MK Avi Dichter (Likud), chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, has been promoting a version of this bill for years now. But the situation has shifted, making success not only possible now but very likely. The bill – …

I took a gap year from University in the early days of the Second Intifada.  At that time, sadly, there were terrorist attacks occurring in Israel, sometimes on a daily basis.  In those days, there was one Palestinian terrorist whose name kept popping up again and again – Marwan Barghouti. …

Israel is something you have to experience in order to truly understand.  This land is both less and much more than people tend to assume. These are some of the things I learned living in Israel: In Israel, I learned that “no” means “maybe.” Rules are for the boring. There …

The launch of Israel Victory Caucus is an initiative that has the potential to be a positive paradigmatic game-changer in the discourse on  the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians will have to pass through the bitter crucible of defeat, with all its deprivation, destruction, and despair as they repudiate the filthy legacy …

On April 24th Israelis will commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.  This is not the same date as the International Holocaust Memorial Day.  This date was chosen to emphasize the place of the Holocaust in the story of the Jewish people. We do this by first celebrating Passover.  One week later, we …

The following is a slightly modified version of a Facebook post written last night at 10:24pm by ZFA Director of Media and Advocacy Emily Gian.  Join the conversation on Facebook here.  Just a few hours ago, I received an alert on my phone about a suspected chemical attack by the …

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 …

“A durable Israeli-Palestinian peace can best be achieved through direct negotiations between the two parties, resulting in a Jewish state living side-by-side in peace with a demilitarized Palestinian state…” – From “The Peace Process: Israel’s Pursuit of Peace,” currently on AIPAC’s website. “Rejecting decades-old policy, the Republican Party approved on …

Since the passing of anti-Israel UN Resolution 2334 on Christmas Eve last year, co-sponsored by New Zealand, there have been questions about what kind of mandate the Foreign Minister had and the level of prior advice and knowledge of the Government. Questions about New Zealand’s involvement in the passing of …

Well, I have to tell you, I am just eating this up. The Times of Israel tells us: Israel’s national baseball team clobbered Taiwan 15-7 Tuesday, racing off to a 2-0 start in the country’s first-ever appearance in the World Baseball Classic. Powered by strong hitting and capped by a …