In Rio, Olympic-sized politicization of sport
August 11, 2016 | Ahron Shapiro
While Israel celebrates its first medal-winner at the Olympics in eight years, some of the other stories coming out of the Summer Games at Rio De Janiero have not been so uplifting.
Opposition to protections from racist harassment and bullying “is ill-conceived, ill-informed and ill-timed”
August 9, 2016 | Jeremy Jones
Jeremy Jones, Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council’s Director of Community and of International Affairs, who has unparalleled experience in the operation of the Federal Race Discrimination laws, has responded to comments by a number of cross-bench senators who have called for the abolition of that federal legislation which gives recourse to victims of racist intimidation, harassment and vilification.
Hamas again largely missing from Sophie McNeill’s latest Gaza expedition
August 8, 2016 | Allon Lee
On ABC TV, Radio and the national broadcaster’s website (July 30), Middle East correspondent Sophie McNeill returned to what is clearly her favourite type of story – a one dimensional narrative focusing on Palestinians suffering in Gaza, where only Israel is deemed culpable for their plight.
Knesset committee recognises Armenian Genocide
August 8, 2016 | Gareth Narunsky
ISRAELI recognition of the Armenian Genocide came a step closer last week with the Knesset’s Education, Culture and Sports Committee endorsing a proposal to officially recognise the tragedy.
What’s in a Name: Jahbat al-Nusra, the Syrian Civil War and Israel
August 5, 2016 | Aaron Torop
On 28 July Jahbat al-Nusra (also known as the Nusra Front) voted to officially sever ties with al-Qaeda and change its name to Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (“Front for the Conquest of the Levant”). Since mid-2015, JN has controlled a majority of the Israel-Syria border in the Golan, with relative quiet to this day. What does this name change mean for Israel’s security along the border?
The serious terror-funding allegations against the World Vision head in Gaza
August 5, 2016 | Jamie Hyams
Israeli authorities announced on August 4 that they had arrested Mohammed El-Halabi, the manager of operations in the Gaza branch of the international charity World Vision on suspicion of using his position to funnel millions of dollars to the terrorist organisation Hamas.
Media Week – Clark in the dark; Terror vision; Blue news
July 29, 2016 | Allon Lee
Reflecting on the challenges posed by Islamist terror and radicalisation, Australian Financial Review (July 16) senior writer Andrew Clark said that “existing laws which prohibit Australians from fighting for non-aligned military forces – whether Islamic State, Hezbollah, the Kurdish Peshmerga, or the Israeli Army – must be enforced more tightly.”
Media Week – A capital conspiracy; Vehicular man (and woman) slaughter
July 22, 2016 | Allon Lee
The Chilcot Inquiry into the former Blair Government’s decision to sign up to the Second Iraq War never mentioned Israel as one of the reasons for going to war. Yet the Canberra Times (July 8) apparently knows better, claiming in an editorial the real reason Iraq was invaded had “more to do with protecting Israel’s interests than in shutting down Saddam’s so-called terrorist links or preventing him from manufacturing crude weapons of mass destruction.”
This is a dangerously deluded conspiracy theory.
Exclusive: Settlement ‘expansion’ fails to even match natural growth
July 21, 2016 | Ahron Shapiro
Since Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu took office in 2009, on average, demand for housing in settlements for natural growth has exceeded supply of new housing.
US Political Party Platforms Shift on Israel
July 15, 2016 | Aaron Torop
Every four years when the Democratic and Republican parties officially nominate their candidates for president, they also amend their platforms, the official party position on a wide range of issues. Even though the platforms are non-binding and do not directly affect US foreign policy, they do express the overall beliefs and goals of each party.
