(image: Shutterstock/Svet Foto)

Military strikes alone won’t stop the Houthis without direct pressure on Iran

March 20, 2025 | Oved Lobel

If the US Administration’s rhetoric is not simply bluster and does reflect the intent of the Administration to restore freedom of navigation through the Red Sea – including  via direct strikes against Iranian assets, a much more devoted interdiction campaign and orchestrating a ground component – there are reasons to hope this operation in Yemen could succeed where previous ones have failed.

Image: X

Pay-for-Slay is likely still Pay-for-Slay

March 7, 2025 | Alana Schetzer

When embattled Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas announced that the PA would restructure its ‘pay-to-slay’ policy – its system of financially rewarding imprisoned terrorists, or the families of terrorists killed – in late January, the news was met with a mix of cautious optimism and scepticism.

Image: X

The missing pieces of the Thai hostages story

February 21, 2025

Damaged section of Kamal Adwan Hospital (image: World Health Organisation)

The latest IDF raid on the Kamal Adwan Hospital debunks absurd UN report

January 9, 2025

Anti-Hamas protests in Gaza (Image: Reddit)

Gaza protests: A turning point or a moment of desperation?

April 2, 2025 | Justin Amler

Gazans are protesting not out of a moral change of heart, but out of sheer desperation. Perhaps some are realizing the harsh truth: when you initiate a war with the explicit goal of eradicating another nation and you fail, consequences follow.

(image: Shutterstock/Svet Foto)

Trump needs to hit Iran where it hurts: Tehran, not Yemen

March 30, 2025 | Oved Lobel

If the administration’s rhetoric reflects its actual intent and is translated into concrete action, then this campaign could eventually succeed where others have failed. The alternative, in which, despite the administration’s tough rhetoric, the US ineffectively bombs the Houthis for several days or weeks with no ground component, no increased interdiction campaign, and no strikes against the Iranian regime, is likely to dramatically embolden already-emboldened Western adversaries.

Image: Anas Mohammed/ Shutterstock

Why Israel had to resume its attacks on Hamas

March 24, 2025 | Justin Amler

The Israeli attacks on Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets on Tuesday should not come as any great surprise. If anything, the only surprise should be that it took this long.

Moreton candidate Remah Naji (centre) with Queensland-based Federal Greens MPs (left to right) Max Chandler-Mather, Senator Larissa Waters, Stephen Bates and Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Image: Instagram)

Green extremes

April 24, 2025 | Bren Carlill, Galit Jones

The Greens party’s recent approach to Israel and other priorities of the Australian Jewish community, including the unprecedented upsurge in antisemitism, has appalled the vast majority of Jews in Australia. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton shake hands ahead of the second leaders’ debate of the 2025 federal election campaign at the ABC Studios in Parramatta, Sydney, Wednesday, April 16, 2025 (Image: AAP/ ABC Pool)

Editorial: After three momentous years

April 24, 2025 | Colin Rubenstein

Three years ago, I wrote that regardless of whether the parties of the Prime Minister or Opposition Leader came out ahead, a sea change in Australia’s historic, mutually-beneficial and close relationship with Israel was not on the ballot. Many would argue that this is no longer the case.

A “deep well of hatred” in segments of the Muslim community contributed to the recent outburst  of extremism and antisemitism in Australia (Image: Diana Zavaleta/ Shutterstock)

Essay: The Politics of Hatred

April 1, 2025 | Henry Ergas

Few things are more obvious than the role that significant elements in the Muslim community have played in the current wave of antisemitism. That Muslims in Australia are fully entitled to hold and express strong views about the Middle East scarcely needs to be said; but it is one thing to hold strong views and quite another to insult, intimidate and injure others

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (left) may hint at agreeing to nuclear negotiations, but it is Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (right) who will ultimately make the decision (Image: Khamenei.ir)

Iran: Moving beyond diplomatic delusions

Apr 1, 2025

A statue of Moses holding the Ten Commandments (Image: Shutterstock)

The Last Word: One Story

Apr 1, 2025

Israeli PM Netanyahu controversially announces he needs to fire Shit Bet chief Ronen Bar (Screenshot)

Marching toward controversy and division

Apr 1, 2025

With leader Alice Weidel, Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) have a presentable face, but Europe's Jewish communities remain wary of far right populism (Image: Shutterstock)

Europa Europa: Going to extremes

Apr 1, 2025

The unknown fate of the remaining Israeli hostages is an ongoing national agony (Image: Noa Ratinsky/ Shutterstock)

The agonising hostage dilemma 

Apr 1, 2025

Former British foreign secretary Ernest Bevin: Noted the Palestinian rejection of any form of Jewish state (Image: Encyclopaedia Britannica)

Scribblings: 75 Years

Apr 1, 2025

Image: Shutterstock

Noted and Quoted – April 2025

Apr 1, 2025

Duterte and Marcos: Who will have the last laugh? (Image: X)

Asia Watch: A feud and its fallout

Apr 1, 2025

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Biblio File: Broken dreams

Apr 1, 2025