NSW Parliamentary friends of Israel

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Coogee Liberal MP Bruce Notley-Smith and NSW Deputy Opposition Leader in the Legislative Council and Shadow Health Minister Walt Secord have been elected chair and deputy chair, respectively, of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel.

NSWJBD CEO Vic Alhadeff, NSW A-G Gabrielle Upton, NSWJBD president Jeremy Spinak, Bruce Notley-Smith and ZCNSW president Richard Balkin

Mr Notley-Smith replaced Attorney-General and Vaucluse MP Gabrielle Upton as chair while Mr Secord was re-elected as deputy chair on the multi-party group.

The positions are for a four-year term of the 56^th Parliament. The group was re-established in June 2011.

The election was overseen by NSW Legislative Assembly deputy speaker, Mr Thomas George.

Mr Secord paid tribute to Ms Upton for her work as the chair and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and the State Zionist Council of NSW for their support.

He also congratulated Mr Notley-Smith on his election and looked forward to working in partnership with him.

“The NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel is the largest friendship group in the NSW Parliament and has the support of the NSW Liberals, Nationals, Labor, the Shooters and Fishers Party and the Christian Democrats. The support is cross-party and that is reassuring,” Mr Secord said.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president Jeremy Spinak and CEO Vic Alhadeff and Zionist Council of NSW president Richard Balkin attended the relaunch, which was necessitated by the fact that a general election has been held.

Addressing the group, Upton recounted the work of the Friendship Group over the past four years, including signing the London Declaration Against Antisemitism and hosting numerous overseas speakers.