News

Happy New year,

We are delighted about the news for the release of the hostages still kept in the tunnels of Gaza hopefully starting next week.it is believed that several dozens are still alive and their release is being prioritised (although the release of all would have been the preferred option).

For the past few months we have witnessed dramatic changes in the geo political landscape. The Iranian axis has received serious blows, including the Hizbollah defeat in Lebanon; the destruction of Iranian air defence systems and other critical infrastructure , leaving their nuclear facilities and oil industry vulnerable, and most recently, the collapse of the Assad regime – a key ally of Iran and Hizbollah. The Houties in Yemen are the only force still showing signs of aggression with two long range missiles hitting central Israeli cities in the past week or two.

(more…)

As Progressive Zionists, we know that supporting a pluralist and egalitarian Israel is more important than ever post-October 7, and also because of the continued attempts to undermine Israeli democracy in the name of “judicial reforms”.

ARZA needs your membership to make sure we can effectively represent the Progressive values of democracy, social justice, human rights, equality for all, and religious pluralism at the World Zionist Congress in the face of growing opposition.

ARZA Australia will represent Australian Progressive Judaism and Progressive values at the World Zionist Congress to be held in 2025. Our delegates will team with Progressive delegates from around the world. The total number of Australian members of ARZA determines the number of votes we have at the Congress, where policies are debated and passed which effect the over $1 billion  allocated to programs in Israel and in the Diaspora.

Other streams are competing for promoting their values, many of which have a negative impact on what we believe in! Currently, religious-based parties supporting the growth of settlements in the West Bank and even in Gaza are recruiting members to their cause in the US and other Diaspora countries. They are building their voting blocks.

Many of you think you are members of ARZA but in fact are not, because your membership was not renewed either personally or through your synagogue!

Please join us to have our voice heard and make a real difference. We urge you to join now by clicking below. ARZA membership is only $1 until 30 December.

To join, please CLICK HERE.

On Friday, December 6, 2024, arsonists attacked the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne.

Over the past 14 months we have seen continuous acts of incitement to violence, hate speech, intimidation, boycotting and cancellation targeted at Jewish community members.

It seems that apart from rhetorical condemnation, law enforcement was minimal to non-existent.

At ARZA we have been alerting to the risk of escalation and that lack of enforcement  of legislation regarding hate speech and incitement to violence  sends the wrong signal of tolerance to such activities.

This in turn, leads to further escalation and physical violence. Therefore, we continue to call on all governments and law enforcement agencies to go beyond rhetoric and ensure enforcement of the law for the protection of the community and to avoid deterioration to violence which would be the inevitable outcome should the policy of appeasement continue.

This is coming on the back of repetitive alerts from the Jewish community and organisations – alerts that have not been taken seriously.

The Prime Minister recognised that this recent attack is an act of antisemitism, yet it is not clear what is actually being done to deter current and future perpetrators from conducting such acts of violence and intimidation.

ARZA stands strong with the Jewish community and indeed with the Australian community at large. We call to move from rhetoric to action to protect our social cohesion which is evidently at risk.
Ayal Marek
President ARZA
Co VP UPJ