Hoenig commits to Friends of Israel
Ron Hoenig, the Labor candidate for the NSW State seat Heffron, has announced that he will join the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel, if elected to the NSW Parliament in this month’s by-election.
Ron Hoenig
Hoenig is the ALP candidate in the forthcoming by-election in the State seat of Heffron vacated by former NSW Premier Kristina Keneally.
NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell has announced that the Liberals will not be fielding a candidate in the by-election.
The invitation was issued by NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel Deputy chair and Upper House MP, Walt Secord and NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel executive member and former NSW Treasurer, Eric Roozendaal.
Ron Hoenig is a public defender for the State of NSW. He was one of Australia’s longest serving local mayors. He has been Mayor of Botany Bay since 1981.
He is also a member of the Maroubra Synagogue and is the oldest child of the late Ernest and the late Edith Hoenig – who both migrated to Australia after World War II.
His mother, a Holocaust survivor was born in the former Czechoslovakia and his father was born in Austria.
Hoenig’s two sons attended Mount Sinai College (Primary) and Moriah College. He visited Israel last year with his wife.
Walt Secord – who spoken out against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel said that Ron Hoenig has a proud record on Israel.
“He was one of the first local government leaders to speak against Marrickville Council’s support in December 2010 for the BDS against Israel,” Secord said.
In April 2011, Ron Hoenig slammed the Greens on Marrickville council saying they should stick to local government issues rather than attacking Israel.
At the time Hoenig said: “Loath as I am to get involved in the affairs of other local councils, I do feel, however, that the involvement of local government in international affairs, unless one is cautious and informed can be seen to be inappropriate.
“Keeping streets clean, picking up the garbage, oversighting local planning, providing parks and recreation area, looking after the very young and the elderly and those in between – these are the responsibilities of local government,” Mr Hoenig said.
The election will be held on August 25.
