Iran’s ongoing strategic success across a mercurial Middle East
April 20, 2023 | Oved Lobel
With the region’s major players veering almost overnight from existential adversaries to close partners and often back to adversaries again just as quickly, the only real thread running through the vicissitudes of the area over recent decades has been the continuing progress of Iran’s seemingly inexorable imperial jihad. No matter how much has changed, only Iran’s imperial expansion has been continuous.
Local reports on Holy Sepulchre flare-up omit key information
April 19, 2023 | Ahron Shapiro
Contrary to media reports that Israeli police had arbitrarily restricted the numbers of worshippers allowed to enter the Church of the Holy…
Recent rocket attacks represent the IRGC’s Palestinian face
April 11, 2023 | Oved Lobel
Hamas and other Palestinian groups simply provide an additional layer to this shell game, providing deniability for Hezbollah, itself a front group acting as the “deniable” Lebanese branch of the IRGC.
Indonesia’s disastrous own-goal
March 31, 2023 | Tzvi Fleischer
This week saw FIFA forced to don its referee cap and admonish and penalise Indonesia for foul play off the field. The world soccer federation cancelled Jakarta’s hosting rights for the Under 20 World Cup after controversial refusals from senior Indonesian political leaders to host an Israeli team as part of the international competition.
Misunderstanding the Middle East in the wake of the Iran-Saudi deal
March 29, 2023 | Oved Lobel
There is a misunderstanding of US policy priorities in the Middle East; ignorance of the long-standing Gulf-China relationship and the chronology of events leading up to this most recent Saudi-Iran rapprochement; and a false belief in an anti-Iran axis in the Gulf.
Abulhawa exposed by the ABC, which then buried the story
March 17, 2023 | Allon Lee
With the ABC’s reputation as a welcoming and safe space for all things pro-Palestinian, controversial US-based Palestinian writer Susan Abulhawa likely would have expected ABC Radio Adelaide “Mornings” to treat her with kid gloves when she spoke to its host David Bevan on March 7.
IAEA reports show Iran has almost reached nuclear weapons capabilities
March 15, 2023 | Ran Porat
The March 2023 reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran’s nuclear program indicate, again, that Teheran has almost completed its process of breaking out towards military nuclear capabilities.
Ehud Ya’ari on ABC Radio National: Israel’s judicial reforms controversy, and increasing West Bank violence
March 13, 2023 | AIJAC staff
AIJAC guest Ehud Yaari was interviewed by Geraldine Doogue on ABC Radio National about Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s political woes, the highly likely forthcoming compromise on contentious judicial reforms, escalating violence in the West Bank and the future of the Palestinian Authority.
Why Russia apologists are often also the main pushers of anti-Israeli BDS
March 9, 2023 | Justin Amler
The major conflict that dominates our news headlines these days is the Russian-Ukrainian war – while the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is perennially in the news to a surprising degree.
Australia needs to take more decisive action regarding Iranian threats against its citizens
March 1, 2023 | Oved Lobel
Ideally, there will eventually be a further expansion of Magnitsky sanctions on Iranian individuals and entities involved in domestic human rights abuses. But Australia should also be undertaking, publicly, criminal or diplomatic action against any Iranians or their local agents… that are involved in intimidating, harassing and potentially trying to kidnap or kill Australians.
Russo-Iranian drone factory will eventually haunt the Middle East
February 10, 2023 | Oved Lobel
Australia should adopt a more coercive approach to the Iranian regime, which has been an avowed enemy of the Western world, including Australia, since its establishment in 1979 and must be viewed and treated as such.
Labor intervenes to protect the IRGC from terror listing
February 3, 2023 | Oved Lobel
The reluctance over – and indeed, seemingly coordinated campaign to avoid – listing the IRGC is puzzling. The IRGC is one of the oldest and most dangerous transnational terrorist organisations in the world, fulfilling all legislative and non-legislative criteria for listing under Australia’s Criminal Code.
