News and Events

This past month we have witnessed several worrying incidents of extremists on the far right in Israeli society.

On August 9th, two Israeli Bedouin women were driving with a two year-old toddler to the Palestinian city of Nablus when they mistakenly entered Givat Ronen. Settlers threatened them and stoned and burned their car. They were eventually protected by Israeli soldiers and taken to hospital, and Israeli security forces arrested the Israeli settlers suspected of the assault. Member of Knesset Limor Son Har-Melech, of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, tried to defend the act, claiming that the women’s car did not have an Israeli license plate. (more…)

Dear friends,

While we are still very concerned about developments in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon, a small development in rhetoric by Hamas indicates a narrow window for progress of negotiations for release of the hostages and a ceasefire agreement.

Although we cannot get our hopes too high, as this is just a small step in the right direction and the negotiation roadmap seems to be still long, with potential for escalation in any of the 7 fronts that Israel is facing a realistic imminent possibility.

I would like to focus this communication on the issues closer to us here. As we see the rise in Antisemitism in Australia, it is our collective responsibility not to be silent bystanders, but rather act, each in our own circles and to our own abilities. Get out of our comfort zone and call for action in order to address this growing concern and prevent it from escalating. (more…)

Chag Shavuot Sameach!

Last week we commemorated 2 significant days in history. One is D-Day, June 6, 1944 that symbolises the turning point of the Second World War when the Western allies counter attacked Nazi Germany and the Axis forces leading to Germany’s surrender within less than a year.

The other is Jerusalem Day , that symbolises the “reunification” of Jerusalem on 5 June 1967, following 3 weeks of Syrian and Egyptian troops gathering on the borders, accompanied by threats from Arab leaders, leading to great fear of a second holocaust.

Both events symbolise in my eyes the victory of the “free world” representing liberal values of freedom and democracy, seeking peaceful co-existence against authoritarian and oppressive regimes with less values to individual human rights. This links to current events. Despite all the hardship we are facing I believe we must maintain hope and aspire for a better world that will see freedom and liberty winning over fundamentalism and extremism. (more…)