An open letter to the Prime Minister of New Zealand Bill English
Open letter to the prime minister of New Zealand, Edward English Read more
Bibi’s chutzpah
December 27, 2016 by J-Wire
Netanyahu’s hutzpa is breathtaking. Read more
Hawkes Bay Friends of Israel condemn McCully and UNSC settlement vote
As Chairman I John McCormick condemn Murray McCully for promoting and supporting by vote the UN SC resolution calling on Israel to stop building settlements in the West bank. Read more
Thanking Hillel Korman
November 3, 2016 by J-Wire
I am starting my decline in life and wish to record the happiest time in my working life was with Mr. Hillel Korman at Holeproof ( NZ ) Ltd from 1970 until the takeover by Holeproof Australia and carried on until 1998 but it was not the same. Read more
Defending the ALP
March 17, 2016 by J-Wire
Liberal candidate for Melbourne Ports Owen Guest’s letter to the Australian Jewish News attacked the ALP’s position on Israel. You can always tell who the Liberal candidate for Melbourne Ports is when they suddenly start to take an interest in taking partisan potshots on Israel in an election year…. Read more
Reader’s letter: Israel’s “transparency law”
This week many people asked me what really bothers me about the proposed “transparency law” promoted by the Minister of Justice, Ayelet Shaked. Read more
Examining Breaking the Silence
To be the only democracy in the Middle East, possessing the most moral army in the world, is a noble aspiration. Read more
The Monte AGM – Take Two
The Monte AGM – Take One
In the welter of claim, counterclaim and general unpleasantness at today’s Montefiore AGM, I learned a number of surprising things: Read more
The Monte – a governor unable to vote
Through circumstances beyond my control, I am unable to be present at the AGM of The Montefiore Home on 7 December . Read more
A letter about the Monte letter
The Board of Sydney’s Montefiore Home recently circulated their members advising them that nominations had been registered for the positions of president, vice-president and treasurer at next Sunday’s AGM. A reader comments on the letter… Read more
My dearest Israel
My dearest Israel,
Why do you weep so? There is no shame in shedding a tear for an enemy which you have to crush. We do this every Passover when we remember those Egyptians who died at the Red Sea. How may I comfort you? Your deep soul-searching shows that you have not lost the good inclination for you do not rejoice at the killing of your foes as does your enemy. Read more
Support from leslie
I want to offer you my whole-hearted support in your ongoing conflict with your neighbours.
Shame on all of us
We in Australia, many of us immigrants or children of immigrants, enjoy a wonderful life. Read more
Not a time for complacency
Dear Jewish Communities and Israelis overseas,
This is not a time for complacency! We cannot afford it. Read more
From Breaking the Silence
Jamie Hyams and Adam Shapiro of The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council have claimed on these pages that allegations aired on the ABC 4 Corners Program “Stone Cold Justice” were “old – some going back to incidents that were alleged to have occurred almost a decade ago.”
Specifically, Hyams and Shapiro were referring to the story of an array of settler attacks on Palestinian children in 2005 that led IDF soldiers to escort the children to their school in the village of at-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills.
Bob Carr: A reader’s thoughts
I don’t think that the self opinionated, arrogant Bob Carr should get away without a suitable reply both to his appearance on the 7.30 program on the ABC last night as well as his chapter about the “ IsraeliLobby “ also called ( by him ) the” Falafel Lobby”, in his book. Read more
Hebron Leader Compliments Honest Reporting
December 8, 2013 by J-Wire
I must complement Honest reporting for the extraordinary work they do. I was honored to a part of their mission, here in Hebron. Read more
A Letter to the New York Times…and J-Wire
A J-Wire reader based in the U.S. has sent us a letter submitted to the New York Times on the recent murder of an IDF soldier in Israel… Read more
AUJS at Kristallnacht Commemoration
“It was an honour to participate in the Kristallnacht panel discussion which was organised by the JCCV in conjunction with the JHC.” Read more
Time for the KA to reform
October 31, 2013 by J-Wire
Circumcision should be decided in-house
I think male circumcision will inevitably end with time as it is the last physical ritual that has not yet been replaced by symbolic ritual. Read more
Singer defends J-Wire
David Singer writes an open response to reader Ben David… Read more
A Terrorist’s Dream – To have Jews as the Enemy.
From Gil Solomon:
It must be any Arab terrorist’s dream come true that they have Jews as their enemy.
If you are a terrorist facing Israel, you can fire rockets by the thousands and finally receive a response you know will end prematurely and inconclusively. You face an Israeli enemy which, during a war, gives advance notice by flyers and phone calls to apartment residents that a specific building is being targeted, giving so called “innocent” civilians and yourselves enough time to escape with your life.
Recently a US drone targeted a known terrorist in Pakistan and according to media reports even after confirming the man’s wife and extended family were present, the missile launch went ahead killing the terrorist and nine of those present with him and not a peep from anyone. This should serve as an example of the blatant experiences Israel should highlight the next time she faces her accusers. No country on the face of the earth goes to the extent Israel does in trying to avoid civilian casualties but one must ask, what benefit has it gained?
If you are a terrorist facing Israel, you can fabricate stories of a supposed massacre (e.g. Jenin), knowing full well that nothing occurred but that it will cast dispersions on an enemy which foolishly states that it will investigate the claim and thereby, to the rest of the world, implies there may be something to the story. In this regard, if you are a terrorist you know that in respect to your Israeli enemy, that they have not a clue how to counter the Hasbara war you are waging against them and wouldn’t even know that Hasbara is a war.
If you are a terrorist facing Israel, you will certainly know that her enemies can make the most outrageous and heinous statements, such as, according to media reports that “Jews are the offspring of pigs and apes”, knowing full well that the Israelis will still offer to sit down with you in talks with no preconditions! Not even the demand that the indoctrination of children in hate must stop.
If you are a terrorist facing Israel, you will know that if captured, as in the case of case of Barghouti, a terrorist “with blood on his hands” sitting in an Israeli prison, you can still be given access to the world media!
If you are a terrorist facing Israel, you will rejoice in that country’s decision of allowing the Muslim Waqf to take control of the Temple Mount after the 1967 war, all for a dubious halachic ruling which is not universally accepted today. This will allow you to go on excavating under the Temple Mount with a bulldozer, destroying any remaining Jewish artefacts in order to rid the place of any trace of the first and second Temple periods and in the process build a mosque there for future proof of claim to the land.
If you are a terrorist facing Israel, you will know that so successful is your propaganda, that your enemy will still be held responsible by the world media for so called settlement “expansion” even though it is clearly only building a new house or an extension to an existing home but within the boundaries of the existing settlement.
If you are a terrorist facing Israel, you will know that no nation in the Western world will call you to account for your ongoing perpetrated myths and lies.
If you are a terrorist facing Israel, you know that your enemy will indulge your ludicrous and incessant claims and still be willing to sit down with you in good faith.
If you are a terrorist facing Israel, you should pray that your enemy will continue treating you as they do now, that is, not as any “normal” country would do. If your enemy was a “normal” country like Russia, China or the USA facing barrage after deadly barrage of missiles, you could rest assured that parts of the Gaza Strip and West Bank would have been reduced to rubble long ago.
Finally and most disgusting of all, if you are a terrorist facing Israel you will know that within the Jewish Diaspora, you will have countless numbers who have fallen for your propaganda, fallen for your attempts to rewrite history, who will flock to your side and denounce Israel for every step it takes in its defence. In short, you will be able to count on many of those who you call the “offspring of pigs and apes” who will defend your every move and pronouncement. If this is not obscene enough, these same “offspring of pigs and apes” will devise ways of bring economic hardship to Israel by such devious campaigns as a BDS.
Gil Solomon
Sydney
AJDS and the JCCV
It doesn’t surprise me that the JCCV is considering disaffiliating AJDS. This possibility has been on the agenda for a while. Not surprisingly, I have mixed feelings about this course of action. Read more
It’s time this charade called a Peace Process came to an end.
When will this charade ever end? On the eve of Obama’s arrival in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated for the umpteenth time “With a Palestinian partner who is willing to conduct negotiations in good faith, Israel will be prepared for a historic compromise that will end the conflict with the Palestinians forever.” Read more
Do Jews have a suicidal gene in their DNA?
With the imminent arrival of Barack Obama, Israel is still trying to put together a coalition government of such disparate groups, that if it were not so serious, it would be laughable…writes Gil Solomon. Read more
An insane democracy called Israel
With events that have taken place in recent times, one can only come to the conclusion that Israel is a democracy gone insane. Read more
Open letter to Julian Burnside
Dear Mr Burnside
I believe you will the guest speaker at a Jewish Function, March of the Living [ MOTL] next Sunday morning on the subject of refugees. I have read a lot of your articles, opinion pieces and I have also been to some of your forums and events where you have spoken. Read more
Gaza and the UN Security Council
In light of the new war in Gaza, the success of Australia gaining a temporary seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC) has come not a minute too soon. Read more