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Will Trump’s plan give peace a chance in Gaza?
Beyond most of their wartime objectives being realised, the key reason fighting is unlikely to resume is because of the immense pressure being brought on Israel, and the isolation suddenly experienced by Hamas.
Read MoreGood news, but the world must make sure Hamas falls in line
Allowing Hamas to recover from the war is a recipe only for further violence and devastation, especially for Gaza. The international community must now do all it can to ensure every point of the Trump plan is implemented, including directing its opprobrium where it is warranted – at Hamas.
Read MoreAIJAC applauds NSW Court of Appeal decision to block Oct. 7 celebration at the Opera House
The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) applauds the unanimous ruling by the NSW Court of Appeal to prohibit provocateurs from holding an anti-Israel march to the Sydney Opera House to celebrate the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.
Read MoreAIJAC welcomes news of agreement on first phase of Israel-Hamas peace plan
AIJAC Executive Director Dr Colin Rubenstein said, “The Australian Jewish community welcomes the signed agreement by Israel and Hamas to release all Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners very soon and for the withdrawal of Israeli troops to an agreed line. Hopefully the next phases – the end of any Hamas role in Gaza, and the commitment by the international community that Hamas and other terrorist groups are disarmed – will also be agreed upon very soon.”
Read More‘The worst two years’: Israeli lives remain entangled with grief and hope
Much of the world has since moved on from the events of that terrible day, focusing attention instead on the high death toll and widespread destruction in Gaza following Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip. But Israelis remain trapped in a psychological time loop, a kind of “Groundhog Day” of horror, reliving the nightmare…
Read MoreAntisemitic graffiti on October 7 anniversary “deeply saddening”: Joel Burnie on Sky News
AIJAC executive manager Joel Burnie discussed the protests and pro-Hamas graffiti seen in Melbourne on Sky News’ Bolt Report.
Read MoreA terrible two years for the Australian Jewish community: Bren Carlill on Sky News
AIJAC director of special projects Dr Bren Carlill discussed the 2-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks with Laura Jayes on Sky News.
Read MoreWhen Israel woke up on October 7
In the years before October 7, Israel did what the world had done for eight decades – it lulled itself into believing that its enemies didn’t mean what they said. Israelis thought that if money went into Gaza, if Gazans could work in Israel, if Gaza’s economy improved, then Hamas, as Gaza’s ruler, wouldn’t want to throw that away… But Hamas attacked anyway, and Israel woke up.
Read MoreAIJAC mourns on the anniversary of October 7: “The day our world changed”
It truly was the day the world changed for all of us at AIJAC, and indeed for the entire Australian Jewish community, and for Jews around the world.
Read MoreCautious hope in Israel for Gaza conflict deal: Joel Burnie on Sky News
AIJAC executive manager Joel Burnie discussed the Gaza conflict deal on Sky News’ weekend edition.
Read MoreGaza peace plan offers hope, but also faces major hurdles
Hamas is very reluctant to surrender its last remaining bargaining chips: the hostages and its weapons. A vague promise of future statehood and the return of the PA is not enough of an achievement to justify what befell the Palestinians as a result of the 7 October attack.
Read MoreAIJAC deeply sorrowed by Manchester attack, calls on Australian leaders to pay attention
As deep as our sorrow is, it does not come with any sense of surprise. For two years, we have been warning about the consequences of the violent rhetoric that has been emerging from the intersection of the anti-Israel hard left, Islamists and the antisemitic hard right. Our political leaders have often avoided confronting this wave of verbal hatred.
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