Julie Bishop meets Victorian Jewish leaders
Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop has met with Melbourne’s Jewish community leaders.
Sam Tatarka – Beth Weizmann, Jeff Morrison – Zionism Victoria,
Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs,David Southwick – Member for Caulfield, Jennifer Huppert – President JCCV, Tim Wilson – Liberal candidate for Goldstein, Owen Guest – Liberal candidate for Melbourne Ports, Senator James Paterson
Joining the meeting at the Beth Weizmann Community Centre in Caulfield were local Liberal candidates Owen Guest (Melbourne Ports) and Tim Wilson (Goldstein), Senator James Paterson and State Member for Caulfield David Southwick.
Ms Bishop met with Jennifer Huppert, President of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV), Sam Tatarka, Chairman of Beth Weizmann Community Centre and Jeff Morrison, Vice-President of Zionism Victoria amongst others.
David Southwick, Owen Guest, Tim Wilson and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop
At a visit to KOGO (Knit One Give One) volunteers showed Minister Bishop some of the over 3000 items knitted by people from across Australia for distribution to children and families in need in Victoria, New South Wales and the Northern Territory.
The Minister toured the Beth Weizmann Community Centre and the Lamm Jewish Library, and visited the offices of a few community organisations, including the United Israel Appeal (UIA) and the Jewish National Fund (JNF).
Community leaders, including Zionism Victoria Vice President Jeff Morrison and Executive Director Jane Rapke, Beth Weizmann Community Centre Chairman Sam Tatarka, Jewish Community Council of Victoria President Jennifer Huppert and Executive Director David Marlow, met with Minister Bishop to discuss key issues important to the Jewish community, such as security and Australia’s outstanding record of support for Israel.
A wide range of topics were discussed including Israel – Australia relations, community security concerns and the security needs of the Victorian Jewish community.
Mr Morrison and Mr Tatarka “appreciated the opportunity to meet with a senior member of the Federal government at an important time for both Israel and Australia”. They commented that “Minister Bishop was able to observe and engage with the daily activities in the hub of our community and gain a deeper understanding of its importance and significance to Melbourne’s Jewish community”.
Minister Bishop also had the opportunity to meet representatives of the United Israel Appeal (UIA) and Jewish National Fund (JNF). UIA Executive Director Idan Goldberger spoke about the organisation’s long history of refugee resettlement and its more recent work supporting programs to upgrade professional training for refugees to improve their job prospects, both areas in which Australia and Israel share an interest.
In her brief meeting with representatives of JNF Minister Bishop acknowledged the many issues Australia has in common with Israel in the use of scarce water resources in arid climates.
Julie Bishop has been to Israel several times, most recently in 2013. She is keen to return and looks forward to her next opportunity to visit.
I agree with you, Denise. The opportunity should have been taken to air the UNWRA funding with Julie Bishop vis-a-vis the video you refer to (I, too, have seen it), as well as take further her courting of Iran.
Bishop visits the Beth Weizmann Centre and ‘looks forward to visiting Israel again’, however, given her influential position in government we should be doing more than being pleased with ‘visits’.
I wonder was Ms Bishop asked about Australia’s $22.34 million dollar aid to UNWRA? Having just watched a video on an UNRWA funded school in Jerusalem which teaches Palestinian schoolchildren Incitement against Jews,(blatantly denied by Nahil Shaath, Snr Palestinian Negotiator) I for one would like to know why Australia is supporting this despicable, anti-Semitic agency.
It’s clear she’s never asked any of these hard questions.
Australia gives aid money to UNWRA but it has nothing to do
With purpose and everything to do with practice.
Thus the PURPOSE for which the money is given
Becomes secondary to political interests – which is where Ms
Bishop comes in. You will most probably read about the
Truth in her autobiography when her time is up. Pity politicians can’t
Tell it how it is when it really matters. It’s always too late and the foresight they
SHOULD have had within the confines of good governance becomes the blessed
“Hindsight” they crave in memoriam.
How does Gabrielle Gouch justify her anti-semitic slur against Iran when Jewish pilgrims have been visiting the graves of Esther and Mordecai in Hamadan for very many years without problems?
I too wonder if any of our community heroes engaged Julie Bishop on her cosy relationship with Iran, which is giving this tyrannous state credibility while maintaining its goal to wipe Israel off the map and aiding Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorists? Or, just by being a conservative, it’s enough for our community heroes to embrace her?
It was good to see Senator James Paterson there the most vocal and public liberal supporter
for Israel .
He’s certainly vocal but pretty uninformed. Can you believe he wants Australia’s embassy in Tel Aviv shifted to Jerusalem? No other country has done this and such a move would pre-empt an international legal settlement on the status of Jerusalem.
Its all about the elections and self interest.
Did anyone mention Iran?
She is buttering up the Jewish community while snuggling up to the most ferocious anti-Semites.
As a gentile supporter of Israel I do hope that this country will continue to support the State of Israel and our Jewish people in this country of Australia
Thank you very much Ary…We need all the help we can get!
Erica E
I sincerely hope Colin Rubenstein was either present
Or had some input – as always he is the best spokesman Australia has!