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Myths and Facts about Settler violence
No one should deny that settler violence is real. Moreover, there is good reason to urge the Israeli government and authorities to do more to ensure that the relatively small number of settlers responsible – generally estimated to be no more than a few hundred out of a settler population of some 450,000 – are caught and prosecuted. But one does not have to share Regavim’s pro-settler agenda to see that the numbers being used in most media reports on the subject, derived from UN data, amount to a complete misrepresentation of the reality of this phenomenon.
Read MoreAIJAC welcomes release of the Antisemitism Envoy’s Plan to Combat Antisemitism; Calls on Government to adopt and implement it “urgently and vigorously”
The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) has welcomed the release of National Antisemitism Envoy Jillian Segal’s Plan to Combat Antisemitism, announced at a press conference this morning, and called on the Government to adopt the plan in full and implement it “urgently and vigorously”. AIJAC Executive Director Dr. Colin Rubenstein said, “National Antisemitism Envoy…
Read MoreMelbourne’s night of shame
We need them to understand that when rampant demonstrators attack our institutions and our community with word and deed, chanting “all Zionists are terrorists,” we take it very personally because they are not calling for dialogue – they are calling for death.
The flames of hatred are burning here. Australia needs to decide what kind of country it wants to be: one where families can share a Shabbat meal in peace, or one where Jews wait anxiously for the next attack.
Read MoreIsraeli defence technology the rising star of Operation Rising Lion
Israel’s 12-day aerial war with Iran between June 13 and June 24 – known in Israel by the name “Operation Rising Lion” – was a remarkably successful campaign in many ways, beginning with the opening strike that eliminated five groups of targets across the country almost simultaneously. However, what is perhaps the most impressive of…
Read MorePoliticians’ reactions ring hollow in echo chambers of outrage
And on whom do they inflict their violence? Why, the Jews, of course. If, according to these people, the very existence of Israel is morally beyond the pale, then it remains that anyone who supports Israel’s existence is likewise reprehensible and must be punished. “Zionists” are the targets, but it just so happens that most Zionists out there are Jews, and almost all Jews are Zionists. And, certainly, the protesters don’t usually bother to discriminate. Which is why synagogues are burnt. Which is why Jewish schools are graffitied and students are taunted. Which is why Jewish artists are de-platformed.
Read MoreAIJAC welcomes Premier’s statement on antisemitism crisis, but calls for urgent and vigorous enforcement
It is undeniable that there is a direct line between the incitement we see at the regular anti-Israel protests in the city and the violence that follows, so urgent action must be taken against this incitement and the protest leaders responsible for it.
Read MoreAnti-Semitism: Very fabric of our society is in deep, dark danger
Those who took to the streets of Melbourne are fundamentally driven by a hatred of Jews. Such people have always been here, but the murders, rapes and abductions that took place on October 7, 2023, emboldened them. And as long as protests accompanied by chants of “Zionists are terrorists”, “death to the IDF”, “globalise the intifada” and “from the river to the sea” continue, violence directed at the Jewish community and its institutions will follow.
Read MoreTragic shift on antisemitism should terrify us all
This kind of hatred never stays contained. The history is clear: every society that has allowed itself to follow this path has ended up ashamed of where it arrived and inevitably in abject failure. So we must ask, urgently and clearly: is this really the road we want Australia to go down?
Read MoreAustralia’s Antisemitism Problem Is No Longer Shocking—It’s Normalised
Are Russian Orthodox churches in Australia being attacked over the Ukraine war? Are Chinese Australians persecuted over the Chinese communist government’s treatment of the Uyghurs? Of course not. Individuals are not held responsible for the actions of foreign governments. Except, it seems, when it comes to Jews, who always seem to bear collective responsibility for anything bad happening in the world, including the alleged and often misrepresented actions of the State of Israel.
Read MoreCould this be the 1967 moment for the Islamic Revolution?
In the end, the battle that many expected to be a bang was in fact a whimper, with the regime completely powerless to defend itself or retaliate in any meaningful fashion.
Read MoreAfter the ceasefire, we should not forget that Iran’s regime is a threat to everyone
For those who have forgotten 2022 or simply believe the Iranian regime is somehow virtuous because they do not like its enemies, it’s important to remember what this regime actually is and what it does. Iran, the region, and the world would be a significantly better, safer places without it.
Read MoreAIJAC welcomes finding of 18C breach by Islamic preacher Wissam Haddad
The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) welcomes the Federal Court’s finding that Wissam (William) Haddad, also known as Abu Ousayd, knowingly breached Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act in several sermons, by utilising antisemitic language under the guise of religious preaching.
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