Editorial: Cooling the Controversy

Wherever you stand on Israeli politics or the controversial judicial reforms that have been on top of PM Binyamin Netanyahu’s Government’s agenda since January, the way the “reasonableness” element of the reform package was passed into law on July 24 is deeply concerning. 

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AIJAC statement on passage of “Reasonableness” bill in Israel, amidst judicial reforms controversy

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) expressed its profound concern about the passing of the judicial reform’s reasonableness bill in Israel’s Knesset overnight. The bill will prevent Israel’s Supreme Court from overturning administrative decisions by the Government, the Prime Minister or ministers on the basis that they are unreasonable.

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Wait, what? West Bank settlements mired in massive housing slump

While it may sound surprising and counterintuitive, the numbers don’t lie: Despite recent well-publicised efforts by key right-wing legislators in Israel’s Government coalition –  – such as Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Betzalel Smotrich of the Religious Zionism party – to remove some of the red tape involved in approving new housing in Israel’s…

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ALP Must Resist the Activists on Israel

The Australian Labor Party is shortly going to have to decide if its policy on Middle East peacemaking is going to be based on misconceptions, symbolic “solidarity” and empty slogans, or common sense, reality, and international law.

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