Statement: The death of Gough Whitlam
October 21, 2014 | Colin Rubenstein
Gough Whitlam was a towering figure in Australian political life, who brought Labor back to power after a long period in the political wilderness and, despite his short tenure as PM, made many substantial and significant initiatives and reforms in areas such as education, the arts, the environment, immigration and multiculturalism.
The history books will certainly record the profound effects the Whitlam government had in shaping the Australia both of today and into the future.
AIJAC condemns horrific Jerusalem murder
July 3, 2014
AIJAC strongly condemns yesterday’s horrific murder of 16-year-old Muhammad Abu Khdeir in Jerusalem.
While all leads are being explored, the possibility raised by Israeli authorities that this could have been a revenge attack for the brutal murder of three kidnapped Israeli teenagers is absolutely abhorrent.
AIJAC condemns horrendous act of terrorism
July 1, 2014
AIJAC mourns Israeli students Gil-ad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach and condemns, in the strongest terms, their cowardly, despicable murder. We call for the perpetrators and their facilitators to be swiftly brought to justice.
Our thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences go to the brave families of these precious teenagers as they confront this unspeakable tragedy.
AIJAC concerned for kidnapped Israeli teenagers
June 16, 2014
AIJAC is deeply concerned for the welfare of the three Israeli teenagers – Eyal Yifrah, Gil-Ad Shaer, and Naftali Frenkel who were kidnapped in the West Bank on June 12 by Palestinian terrorists, and calls for their immediate release.
AIJAC’s Executive Director Dr Colin Rubenstein said, “Together with Israelis, and all people of good will, our thoughts and prayers are with the kidnapped boys and their families, and we hope for their safe and immediate return.
AIJAC welcomes government decision to refrain from using word “occupied” in referring to east Jerusalem
June 6, 2014
AIJAC today welcomed the Australian Government’s decision, announced by Attorney-General George Brandis on Wednesday, to refrain from using the pejorative and unhelpful word “occupied” to refer to east Jerusalem. It called on all sincere supporters of a genuine two-state outcome to likewise support using terminology which does not prejudge the outcome of negotiations and thus encourages compromise and serious diplomatic engagement between the parties.
Statement: Deadly antisemitic attack in Belgium
May 26, 2014
The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council mourns the victims of the murderous attack at the Jewish Museum in Brussels on the weekend and joins prayers for the full and speedy recovery of the wounded.
“Our first thoughts are with the victims and their families and we hope that effective actions by authorities in Belgium and across Europe will prevent the possibility of the recurrence of such vile, violent action,” Jeremy Jones AM, AIJAC Director of International and of Community Affairs, said today.
Statement on former Foreign Minister Carr’s recent comments
April 11, 2014
AIJAC has had good relations with former Foreign Minister Bob Carr over many years and are puzzled and disappointed by his strange claims that Australian foreign policy under the previous government was under the sway of the “extraordinary influence” of a Melbourne based pro-Israel lobby – apparently a reference primarily to AIJAC. It is frankly sad when an elected official imagines that disagreement with their policy position must stem from malicious influences.
Statement on government’s “exposure draft” of proposed changes to 18C
March 25, 2014 | Colin Rubenstein
AIJAC is disappointed by the exposure draft of the Freedom of Speech (Repeal of S. 18C) Bill 2014 released by Attorney-General George Brandis today. In his bid to balance freedom of speech with the right of Australian citizens to go about their lives with dignity and free from racial harassment and vilification, it is our view that the Attorney-General has gone too far and failed to adequately safeguard the latter important rights and values…
Employment opportunity – Policy Analyst/Staff Writer
February 25, 2014
The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC), Australia’s leading professional Jewish public affairs organisation, is seeking a self motivated individual with a keen interest in public policy issues important to the Jewish community…
Statement on Four Corners/The Australian report
February 12, 2014
AIJAC is appalled by the intellectually weak and fundamentally misleading collaboration between the ABC and the Australian, “Stone Cold Justice”, which aired on the February 10 edition of “4Corners”.
The basic claim in this unbalanced and misleading quasi-documentary is that Israel has a new policy of deliberately targetting Palestinian children for judicial abuse and to intimidate them into acting against their own friends and families. Viewers were expected to abandon critical faculties and accept that every word spoken by Palestinians was true, despite a long documented history of Palestinian distortions and fabrications against Israel, and that every counter claim by Israelis should be dismissed.
