News and Events

Dear Friends,

Over the last 12 hours, we have witnessed yet another critical and defining crossroad for Israel and the wider region. Following the collapse of the most recent round of negotiations, the United States and Israel have carried out pre-emptive targeted strikes against strategic targets under the operation named Lion’s Roar. The danger to the Israeli home front is immediate and acute, and the implications of these developments are profound.

In light of these events, ARZA Australia wishes to share our perspective on what this moment represents for Israel, the Jewish diaspora, and all those who seek a more peaceful Middle East.

For decades, the current leadership in Iran has maintained its grip on power through domestic oppression and the international export of radicalism. The regime has financed extremist proxies, pursued nuclear capability, and remained a central architect of regional instability. Its influence has extended beyond the Middle East, attempting to sow intimidation and discord within Jewish communities, including here in Australia.

At the same time, we recognize the immense courage of the Iranian people, who have long struggled for dignity, basic human rights, and democratic freedoms. We hold hope that these developments may hasten the end of authoritarianism and open the path toward a sovereign and democratic Iran.

The immediate reality, however, is one of uncertainty and vulnerability. Drawing on experience from previous emergencies, including Operation Rising Lion, our partners in Israel stand ready to respond to evolving needs, particularly for the most vulnerable. Unity and preparedness remain essential. As was said so powerfully at a recent communal gathering, our greatest strength is our unity. It is through our collective resolve that we sustain Israel and one another during turbulent times.

ARZA Australia remains steadfast in its commitment to Progressive Zionism: security for Israel alongside justice, dignity, and peace for all who inhabit the region. We send our support and solidarity to the people of Israel as they confront immediate threats, and to the people of Iran who yearn for freedom from repression.

Our hearts and minds are joined with the people of Israel and its security forces, and with all who seek a future defined not by fear and extremism, but by coexistence, mutual respect, and lasting peace.

We will continue to keep you updated as developments unfold.

Warmly,

The ARZA Australia Team

Today we cover 4 topics:

1. When the Threat Hits Home -Identity, Propaganda, and the Stakes of Silence

This piece is an attempt to connect the dots between history and what is happening in our schools and universities today. By looking at insights from major thinkers like Dan Senor, Aviva Klompas, and David L. Bernstein, a worrying pattern emerges: The West is repeating a dangerous form of psychological warfare from the 20th century.

2. The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has launched its official website

Visit the website for updates, information and resources:
asc.royalcommission.gov.au

3. Beware Netanyahu’s Orwellian ‘War of Revival’ doublespeak, David Horowitz analysis

“The PM is peddling a false October 7 narrative that skews why Israel went to war in Gaza, dishonors the dead, the injured, the traumatized, and obscures the need to get to the root of the failures”

4. Daniel Aghion KC, President, Executive Council of Australian Jewry shares insights to several topics

• “Globalise the intifada” is a call to violence, not peace
• Debunking the Gaza Genocide Myth
• Right-wing extremism is not our only threat and more
(more…)

Dear Friends and Partners in our Australian Progressive Jewish Community,

In these early months of 2026, our connection to Israel feels more vital—and perhaps more complex—than ever. As Progressive Zionists in Australia, we are bound by a vision of an Israel that is both a secure homeland for the Jewish people and a sanctuary of justice for all its citizens. Today, that vision is being tested by a profound internal crisis: the epidemic of violence within Israel’s Arab society.

The year 2025 closed as the deadliest on record, with 252 Arab citizens murdered—a staggering figure that accounts for a disproportionate record of Israel’s total homicides. As of February 2026, the crisis has escalated into what Police Commissioner Danny Levy has termed a “national state of emergency,” with 49 murders recorded in just the first six weeks of this year. (more…)