Netanyahu likely to seek to broaden his narrow coalition

Netanyahu likely to seek to broaden his narrow coalition

May 15, 2015 | Colin Rubenstein

Last December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the head of a centre-right government of 68 members in the 120-seat Knesset, called for new elections after disputes with several coalition members. On March 17, Netanyahu’s Likud party emerged as the clear winner, with a seemingly comfortable path to a right-wing government of 67 seats, if desired.

Iran's lies disguise terror network

Iran’s lies disguise terror network

April 2, 2015 | Colin Rubenstein

IN view of the Obama administration’s attempts to mend relations with Tehran, it’s important to remember the truly revolutionary, ideological and repressive nature of the Iranian regime.

Far from becoming more moderate, Iran remains a leading human rights abuser, still committed to Ayatollah Khomeini’s vision of exporting the revolution and, with it, Iran’s intolerant, fundamentalist version of Shia Islam.

US on a fool's errand over Iran nuclear deal

US on a fool’s errand over Iran nuclear deal

March 18, 2015 | Colin Rubenstein

Now that the furore has subsided after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the United States Congress this month, the focus should be on the major issue. This is not the politics of the Israeli elections, or the state of US-Israel relations, or partisan splits in Washington, but the optimum strategy to prevent Iran, a terrorism-supporting rogue state, from acquiring nuclear weapons in defiance of international law. This is the question that will likely profoundly shape not only the increasingly volatile Middle East, but global politics, for decades to come.

Hamas remains the barrier to rebuilding Gaza

Hamas remains the barrier to rebuilding Gaza

March 9, 2015 | Sharyn Mittelman

LAST October, the international community pledged a massive $7 billion to assist the Gaza strip’s reconstruction after Hamas’s July war with Israel.

However, only about 5 per cent of the money has been delivered to Gaza so far and reconstruction is clearly slow. While some aid agencies based in Gaza blame Israel’s security blockade for the slow rate of reconstruction (while ignoring Egypt’s total blockade), the real reasons lie elsewhere.

Letter: Free speech protected

March 9, 2015 | Colin Rubenstein

Chris Berg (Opinion, 1/3) misrepresented an article I wrote with Michael Kapel published in The Age in 1994. In context, the line that Berg quotes does not say that newspaper articles would never be subject to the Racial Discrimination Act, as he implies…

Why the UN Security Council can't solve the Arab-Israel conflict by itself

Why the UN Security Council can’t solve the Arab-Israel conflict by itself

February 16, 2015 | Einat Wilf & Shany Mor

Australia showed moral leadership in its term on the UN Security Council, most notably when it stood with the US in December and voted against a highly biased and anti-Israel draft resolution put forward by the Arab League, recognising true peace between Israel and the Palestinians can only be achieved via direct negotiations.

The path to Palestinian statehood has always passed through reconciliation with Israel – a recognition of both the fact of a Jewish state in the Middle East and the acceptance of its legitimacy.

Statement on the terrorist attacks in Denmark

Statement on the terrorist attacks in Denmark

February 16, 2015

AIJAC expresses its sincere condolences to the victims and their families of the terrorist attacks in Copenhagen on the weekend. The victims of the deadly attacks included documentary filmmaker Finn Noergaard who was killed while attending a discussion at a café on freedom of speech and Dan Uzan, a Jewish volunteer security guard who was killed while guarding a synagogue where around 80 people were celebrating a Bat Mitzvah. Five policeman were also injured in these attacks and we hope for their full recovery.

Paris no excuse for revisiting 18C

Paris no excuse for revisiting 18C

January 21, 2015 | Sharyn Mittelman

ON January 7 there was an attack on free speech in Paris by murderous terrorists inspired by a jihadist ideology, not French laws on hate speech.

Despite this truth, the attack on Charlie Hebdo and the horrific murders of 17 people have led some commentators in Australia to rehash the debate on section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, claiming we cannot say “Je suis Charlie” and support hate speech laws. But we can and we should.

Not condemning anti-Semitism only fuels extremism

Not condemning anti-Semitism only fuels extremism

January 21, 2015 | Glen Falkenstein

“I went down to the freezer, I opened the door, there were several people who went in with me. I turned off the light and the freezer…I brought them inside and I told them to stay calm here, I’m going to go out”.

Lassana Bathily, a Muslim employee of a kosher grocery store in Paris, saved several Jews from Amedy Coulibaly who murdered four men finishing their shopping before the Sabbath. Earlier that week, Cherif and Said Kouachi, who along with Coulibaly had sought to send radicalised French youths to Iraq, killed twelve people in an attack on the Charlie Hebdo headquarters.

First Person: Time to wake up

First Person: Time to wake up

December 16, 2014 | Jeremy Jones

Armed hostage taking is extremely rare in Australia, and armed hostage taking accompanied by a banner that evoked images of Islamic State, al-Qaida or other groups known for their inhumanity, barbarity and callous disregard for morality and decency, is unprecedented.

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