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Mess in the Middle East
Iran is playing a dangerous game of nuclear chicken with the incoming Biden administration, attempting to panic them into immediately lifting sanctions and re-entering the badly flawed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement without amendment.
Read MoreSky News’ Sharri Markson discusses ICC with Sen. James Patterson, cites AIJAC’s Dr Colin Rubenstein
Sky News host Sharri Markson says several Islamic countries, many “the enemies of Israel,” are determining the legitimacy of the Jewish state and its right to defend itself from attack. “This weekend the International Criminal Court announced it has the power to charge Israel with war crimes over Palestinian territories,” Ms Markson said.
Read MoreAustralian Government commended for ICC approach
The Australian Government has shown its commitment to the consistent and just application of international law in condemning the recent decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber.
Read MoreParties finalise their lists for next month’s Israeli election
Registration of parties for Israel’s March 23 national election closed last night, bringing into focus the political battle lines for the upcoming campaign and closing the window for smaller parties to merge and reduce the risk of falling under the electoral threshold of 3.25 percent on Election Day.
Read MoreThe antisemitic commentators of Holocaust Remembrance Day
Each year on 27 January – the day the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated – the world remembers and honors the victims of one of the greatest crimes against humanity by observing International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Read MoreThe Biden Administration’s Turkish Dilemma
Turkey’s own behaviour will play a role in determining US policy, but there appears little likelihood of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan making anything more than the most cosmetic efforts to get into the Biden Administration’s good graces. If anything, he appears to be doubling down on his policies and provocations.
Read MoreB’Tselem & “Apartheid”
Israeli left-wing NGO B’Tselem managed to grab some international attention by releasing a provocative report on Jan. 12, in which it labelled Israel an apartheid and Jewish supremacist regime. The report’s overblown title, “A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is apartheid”, appears to have been a deliberate mirroring of the catchcry of those who would eliminate Israel: “Palestine must be free, from the river to the sea.”
Read MoreMalka Leifer extradited
With an enormous sense of relief, the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) welcomes the news that Malka Leifer is en route to Australia to face 74 counts of child sexual abuse.
Read MoreWhat we can expect from President Biden
Much has changed since Biden spoke with the autonomy of a senator, particularly the increasing volume of Israel critics among Democrats. Therefore, Biden’s underlying attitudes towards today’s Israel are not altogether clear.
Read MoreThe Biden Administration’s challenge on Iran
If Biden intends the JCPOA to prevent Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, and to moderate its other rogue behaviour, he needs to first insist that Iran return to full compliance with the deal, and then significantly renegotiate or expand it.
Read MoreHistory’s lessons vital to counter extremism
THE recent shocking events at the US Capitol have underlined how extremists around the world are promoting racist conspiracy theories, recruiting online and trying to provoke “race wars” — and helped cause the violence we saw in Washington. Meanwhile, Australian security agencies continue to warn about the growth of far-right extremism here.
Read MoreClive Williams’ misguided claims on Iran, Israel and the Trump Administration – a fisking
Clive Williams is a campus visitor with the ANU Centre for Military and Security Law. His article on The Conversation website asked, “Are the US and Iran headed for a military showdown before Trump leaves office?” (Jan 4). Unfortunately, the article was a mixture of out-of-context information, factual errors and half-truths brought together by an underlying presumption that the real threat to peace and security in the Middle East is not Iran, but Israel and the US Administration.
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