Melbourne schools disappointed in not meeting Netanyahu
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be addressing either of two Jewish schools in spite of a their invitations when he visits Melbourne during his visit to Australia next month.
Rabbi James Kennard
In a joint statement Mount Scopus principal Rabbi James Kennard and Bialik College principal Jeremy Stowe-Lindner said: “It is with profound dismay that, despite our requests, the Prime Minister of Israel is not addressing the youth of the Melbourne Jewish community in his only major function in Melbourne. One of our schools offered to make available space for 2000 people – enough to address community members and many hundreds of young people, but this was declined in place of his addressing community leaders and a token smattering of young people in a synagogue near Melbourne’s financial district.
Jeremy Stowe-Landner
At this time, when bolstering the next generation’s connection to Israel is so critical, we regard this as a sorely missed opportunity
The offer for our students to watch the address from afar on Youtube – no more engaging than one of billions of clips available on the internet – and of very small delegations from some of the schools – is unacceptable for a community which prides itself on its Zionism and strives to instill that spirit in the next generation.
Our offer remains open.”
The Israeli embassy in Canberra declined to comment.
I guess a little issue with going to the US to meet trump may have something to do with all this ?
More than likely this…….http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/diplomacy-defense/104194-160225-israel-s-president-delays-australia-trip-for-putin-talks
Now it seems that Netanyahu won’t even be visiting Melbourne. This is pretty poor indeed and making a sham of the support that the local Jewish community has given for Israel over the decades.
Your comment is a little open ended leaving it to anybody’s guess, why not a reference as to why……
This may well be his final visit to many countries as he is unlikely to be reelected at the next election.
Why? Because of the investigation he’s being subjected to?
Heavens we have an Argentine sitting on the most powerful seat within the Abrahamic faith, a faith that aided and abetted the decimation of thousands of it’s own received on bended knee…..
Without a doubt deep disappointment and I can’t say I’d be impressed if Catholic personnel were given preference.
Maybe it’s unfair to pre-empt a final decision…….I can’t imagine him depriving himself of making contact with those of his own.
Perhaps the very pro- Israel Brigitte Gabriel a previous guest at MSC has had a word to BiBi and told him to be aware of hostile questions ?