Settlement activity plunges, but media clings to misleading Peace Now narrative
January 16, 2018 | Ahron Shapiro
Israeli housing starts in West Bank settlements are at their lowest point since 2011, but news stories keep focusing on planning sessions for projects that may never get built.
AIJAC guest Dr Matthew Levitt in the media
December 18, 2017
Dr Matthew Levitt, the Director of The Washington Institute’s Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, recently completed a successful visit to Australia and New Zealand as a guest of AIJAC.
In addition to briefing politicians, think tanks and law enforcement officials, Dr Levitt’s busy schedule also included several media appearances, which can be streamed below.
At OIC summit, Abbas crosses a line into apparent antisemitism and rejectionism
December 15, 2017 | Ahron Shapiro
In the aftermath of the US announcement on December 6 recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the intent to move their Israeli embassy there, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has opened up a diplomatic attack on Israel, spearheaded by many Muslim states. His remarks have even veered in Islamist antisemitic tropes and historical revisionism.
Australia’s 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper
December 4, 2017 | Sharyn Mittelman
The 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper seeks to navigate Australia’s great uncertainties and challenges in international relations – from China’s rise to the perceived US retreat, regional interests, forces of protectionism and nationalism overseas, and the weakening of the international rules based order. Regarding areas of particular interest to AIJAC, the White Paper discusses issues including Australia’s support for Israel and the two state outcome, multiculturalism, the Iran nuclear deal known as the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), the threat of Islamist terrorism and Australia’s role at the United Nations.
How to Understand John Lyons’ “memoir” Balcony Over Jerusalem
November 17, 2017 | Ahron Shapiro
The recently published book by John Lyons, Balcony Over Jerusalem: A Middle East Memoir (co-written with Lyons’ wife, Sylvie Le Clezio) is being billed as a “memoir” of Lyons’ six years as Middle East correspondent for the Australian newspaper, from 2009 until January 2015…
However, on anything to do with Israel and the Palestinians, it becomes very unlike a memoir. Lyons’ book goes far beyond simple reporting and reminiscences and instead sets out to make arguments and judgments that nearly uniformly are devoted to criticising Israel, its Jewish citizenry and the country’s national character.
Follow the money: Counter-terrorism and terror financing
November 9, 2017 | Shmuel Levin
A new book co-authored by Nitsana Darshan-Leitner and Samuel M. Katz reveals that Israeli security services have made attacking terror finance a major part of their counterterrorism efforts for more than 15 years under the codename “Operation Harpoon”…
The terror tunnels are back
November 1, 2017 | Shmuel Levin
The Israel Defence Forces have discovered several new terror tunnels emanating from Gaza and crossing into Israel.
Australia joins UNHRC: Can Canberra help catalyse badly needed UN reform?
October 18, 2017 | Sharyn Mittelman
Australia has achieved a significant international win in being elected to join the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for a three-year term starting in January 2018. However, Australia may face great challenges in promoting its agenda for human rights at the UNHRC, as the Council has long been marred by politicisation and undermined by the election of members who are serial human rights offenders, and not human rights advocates.
Ha’aretz reveals claims about major settlement expansion are wrong
October 17, 2017 | Ahron Shapiro
Talking about building settlements and actually building them are two different things. It’s an important distinction that isn’t made often enough.
Conspiracy theories about the Kurds and the Mossad
October 11, 2017 | Shmuel Levin
In the wake of Kurdistan’s recent independence referendum, all manner of creative accusations have emerged alleging that the referendum was part of a secretive Israeli and/or Jewish conspiracy. Admittedly, Israel has been supportive of an independent Kurdistan, but Kurdish national aspirations predate Israel’s existence. The Kurds were first promised an independent state in the 1920 Treaty of Sevres, following World War One.
The Kurdistan referendum – the aftermath
October 4, 2017 | Shmuel Levin
As discussed here on FreshAIR a few weeks ago, despite significant opposition, Iraq’s Kurds proceeded on 25 September with an independence referendum resulting in an overwhelming ‘yes’ vote of 93%. The referendum was opposed with near-unanimity from multiple countries, including most prominently, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. Now these countries are threatening retaliation.
Settlement housing construction plummets to five-year low
September 15, 2017 | Ahron Shapiro
In January, coinciding with the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government advanced plans for thousands of new homes in Jewish neighbourhoods of east Jerusalem as well as the West Bank (the vast majority within settlement blocs.)
Yet since then – according to the latest figures released by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, actual housing starts have dropped to its lowest point in five years.
Strangely, the media has been silent about this disparity.
