Vote won’t end family unification controversy

On June 6, the Israeli Government led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett failed to pass a compromise that would have extended Israel’s Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law, commonly known as the “family unification law”, a piece of legislation that, among other things, effectively places curbs on the automatic granting of Israeli citizenship or Israeli residency to citizens of enemy states or the West Bank and Gaza.

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Brutal new Iranian President raises major policy questions

Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement in February entitled “Putting Human Rights at the Center of US Foreign Policy,” the title of which reflects the ostensible approach of the administration to foreign affairs. Will the new US administration be happy to directly engage with Raisi, a mass murderer accused of crimes against humanity, especially given its own sanctions against him? 

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The LaRouchites latch on to Australia Post

The obscure and conspiracy theory-peddling Australian Citizens Party (ACP) recently featured in one of our national broadcaster’s highest profile news programs. How it came to spend this brief and unaccustomed time in the limelight gives a glimpse into the party’s machinations.

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Aunty’s complaints process is an absolute farce

In the best tradition of protecting its paymasters, the response to AIJAC’s complaint by the ABC complaints unit – aka Audience & Consumer Affairs (A&CA) – finding that the May 27 episode of Q&A did not breach the ABC Code of Practice’s “impartiality standard” proved yet again why a genuinely independent complaints system is long overdue.

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German experience can inform Australia’s next move on Hezbollah

There is no timeline in place for the Australian Government to consider the PJCIS’ recommendation on Hezbollah. However, the committee has requested that the Department of Home Affairs and other relevant agencies provide classified feedback on their considerations about moving to proscribe all of Hezbollah, preferably within three months. The German experience should certainly be considered by the Department as it prepares any such feedback.

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Editorial: A Government that looks like Israel

There has always been a large degree of unreality in the distorted way Israel’s most unhinged critics have portrayed the Jewish state. Yet this unreality has arguably never been so apparent since last month’s installation of the new unity Government led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid.

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Iranian online Jew-hatred likely fed international wave of antisemitism

While antisemitism is a pervasive problem that long predates the Iranian regime, which is but one of its many champions – although likely its most active and open state promoter – there is enough circumstantial evidence to suggest that its social media incitement campaigns are playing a role in the recent spike in attacks against Jews in the US and perhaps elsewhere. 

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Backgrounder: Who’s who in the new Israeli government

This past Sunday, on June 13, the 36th government of Israel was sworn in. The new government is a diverse coalition comprised of eight parties, and will be led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for the next two years, after which Yair Lapid will take over. The new 28-member cabinet features record diversity.

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Iran’s role in the latest Gaza conflict

References to Iran have been glaringly absent from commentary on the clash between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza, even though two primary terrorist organisations, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have effusively praised Tehran and its regional proxies for providing their military capabilities and finance.

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