Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council

Public debate in Australia has taken on a dark and worrying tone over the past few weeks. Recent revelations about the disturbing circumstances surrounding the death of Australian-Israeli Ben Zygier raised a spectre of racial hatred that most Jewish-Australians had hoped would have been left behind

When it was confirmed that the controversial Dutch MP Geert Wilders would be visiting Australia, supporters of Australia's model of cultural diversity considered the most appropriate responses. Given that Australia has a raft of federal and state laws designed to protect targets of racist demonisat

OUR society is founded on civility, tolerance and fair opportunity for all people, regardless of religion, racial or ethnic origins, to achieve their maximum potential. This is why it is a fundamental concern that Australia's laws against public expressions of racial hatred are being targeted for d

Tragically, with a series of trials ending without prosecutions, with Nazi murderers avoiding trials due to infirmity or old age, with each and every tactic used to avoid and delay prosecution or extradition, no person who came to Australia has borne punitive consequences. With the decision in Augu

Compared to the revolutionary upheavals in the Arab states, the Jewish state is a haven of political stability, domestic quiet and economic prosperity. And while it involves a hazardous, overland desert journey fraught with Bedouin marauders and human traffickers, Israel's largely unfenced Negev bor

Cabramatta is one of my favourite suburbs in Sydney. It is colourful without being too boisterous, assertive without being too aggressive. The substantial Vietnamese-Australian immigrant population has contributed in many ways, devoting industry and passion in efforts to ensure that their children

A few days before this article was written, it is doubtful many, if any, readers were familiar with the name Anders Behring Breivik. Perhaps some of my international colleagues who research and attempt to understand the various personalities that participate in the shadowy world of European extremi

While other mosques, together with temples, churches and synagogues, routinely welcome members of the public, a mosque associated with the infamous Sheikh Tajeddin el-Hilaly and an association which has been identified with the controversial and self-contradictory Keysar Trad had more reason than mo

Australian multiculturalism is a policy that has served us well and, properly weighted between our rights and responsibilities, can further help us resolve pressing social challenges. If revitalised and renewed, it will continue to benefit Australia's harmony, diversity and cohesion.

The recent federal election was unlike any other since World War II, and may have changed politics in this country forever. What did not change, however, was the plethora of minor and special interest parties participating. As always, a number of these had policies that would be of concern to the ma

Despite the obvious concern that accompanies any change of government - particularly one that had ruled for 11 years - by and large the changeover to the Australian Labor Party saw a continuity of bipartisanship on a raft of Israel and Jewish communal issues. The sudden change of the prime ministers

Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to study the Australian government's new Counter-Terrorism White Paper, released on Feb. 22, as closely as I would have liked before press time. However, on a quick reading, I can say that I do think it got the main focus largely right in identifying the seri

They say that the Middle East conflict has become domestic politics in Europe. And they're right. Of all the issues exercising European minds, none is more contentious and emotive than that of immigration.

The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) today welcomed the changes to Australian Citizenship testing processes announced this week by the Federal Government.

Of course, most of the time when journalists get stuck on what they mistakenly believe to be the correct interpretation, there is no budging them. SBS 'Dateline' maintains an unflinching tradition of only reporting bad news from Iraq, despite all improvements there.

An issue on which Obama and McCain agree is on the need to isolate Hamas unless and until it agrees to abide by the requirements set out by the Quartet: renounce violence, recognise Israel's right to exist, and agree to abide by agreements signed by the Palestinian Authority.

Within six days in April, I was fortunate to be at three events in Sydney which promoted dialogue and the exchange of ideas, providing reasons for pride and confidence in the intellectual and social maturity of contemporary Australia.

Has the surge in Iraq worked to improve the lives of Iraqis, giving them security and the chance of better lives? You hear a lot of different views on the subject, but if you look at the views of Iraqis themselves, the answer is very clear.

Australian Multiculturalism... has been official bipartisan policy, federal and state, for more than 30 years and has helped create and sustain what is one of the most successful multi-ethnic, tolerant, democratic societies in the world. It contributes effectively to our social cohesion, economic pr

There is no doubt that Hamas scored a propaganda coup on January 21, when the evening news was dominated by the blackouts in Gaza, which were blamed on Israel's closing of its transit points into Gaza and limiting fuel deliveries.