Emmanuel Macron on Israel and France’s Jewish community
May 8, 2017 | Shmuel Levin
As Emmanuel Macron claimed victory in the French Presidential election this week, French Jewish community leaders expressed relief. As Joel Mergui, President of the Israelite Central Consistory of France, wrote: Macron’s win “constitutes a veritable relief for all our nation and for the Jewish community of France”.
Five stand-outs about Hamas’ new policy manifesto
May 5, 2017 | Ahron Shapiro
Hamas’ new policy document – which has been mischaracterised as replacing its founding charter – has been described as a softening of its position. But does it really reflect a change in Hamas’ attitude towards Israel or is it merely an attempt to improve its image abroad?
After threatening Australia last week, North Korea threatens Israel this week
May 2, 2017 | Shmuel Levin
After threatening Australia with a nuclear strike last week, North Korea has added yet another country to its target list – Israel.
Beyond the spin: Israel’s planned settlement
April 6, 2017 | Ahron Shapiro
While, ironically, both pro-settlement and anti-settlement groups have an interest in amplifying its significance, a rational fact-based analysis of Israel’s planned first new West Bank settlement in over 20 years would seem to suggest they’re almost literally making a mountain out of a molehill.
Syria chemical attack highlights the ugly reality that the Middle East is turning into a chemical weapons free-for-all
April 5, 2017 | Shmuel Levin
Once again, the world has woken up to another chemical weapons atrocity in Syria, with numerous heart-rending videos showing children gasping and struggling to breathe, if not killed outright. Early indications suggest that the attack likely involved sarin nerve gas.
In the World Vision Gaza case, words matter
March 31, 2017 | Ahron Shapiro
A statement and subsequent clarification by DFAT officials have been the basis for news reports that cast aspersions on Israel’s allegations that a top World Vision employee in Gaza, Mohammad El-Halabi, had diverted aid money to Hamas. Yet a close reading of the statements together suggests the substance of DFAT’s statements don’t justify the headlines.
The assassination of a terrorist
March 27, 2017 | Shmuel Levin
Last Friday night, four assassins lay in wait for Hamas military leader Mazen Faqha outside his beach-side home in Tel el-Hawa, a neighborhood in south-western Gaza City. The assassins had broken in to Faqha’s garage a few hours earlier, after Faqha had left his house with his wife and daughter. Now, they waited quietly for his return.
When Bibi met Vladimir: Israel, Russia, and Iran
March 20, 2017 | Shmuel Levin
Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Russia for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. As Putin noted in the leaders’ joint press conference, Israel and Russia have “established very close and very confidential contact” in recent years and the two leaders “meet on a regular basis and are constantly in touch by telephone”. This visit came against the backdrop of an increased Russian presence throughout the region.
AIJAC’s involvement in Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s historic visit to Australia
March 17, 2017
AIJAC is very proud of the official role played by our National Chairman Mark Leibler AC in the two major public functions featured during Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s official state visit – the first by a sitting Israeli PM – last month.
A new milestone – Israel begins exporting gas
March 9, 2017 | Shmuel Levin
Whilst Israel has long bemoaned its scarcity of natural resources, now, for the first time in its almost 70 years of existence, Israel has quietly begun exporting natural gas to other countries.
Reports: Netanyahu has secretly been advancing regional peace plan
March 9, 2017 | Ahron Shapiro
Since taking office in 2009, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has often been criticised in the media for supposedly not doing enough to promote peace with the Palestinians and ultimately being responsible for the lack of progress in the peace process.
However, in recent days, new reports in the US foreign policy magazine, The American Interest, and Israel’s left-leaning Ha’aretz daily have emerged detailing backchannel negotiations and discreet peace initiatives that Netanyahu and his emissaries have been making with – not only the Palestinians – but Egypt and a number of Arab states.
Beyond the photo-opportunities: The concrete results of Netanyahu’s visit to Australia
March 8, 2017 | Shmuel Levin
As the dust begins to settle on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Australia, it is worth taking stock of the specifics of what exactly was accomplished during this short four-day trip. While much has been written elsewhere about the visit and the broader Australia-Israel relationship, a number of specific concrete projects were also realised.
