Shurat HaDin and World Vision Australia: In talks
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has intervened in the dispute between Israel’s Shirt HaDin and World Vision Australia over the former’s claim that World Vision was funding a terrorist organisation.
Akiva Hamilton
The Executive Director of the ECAJ, Mr Peter Wertheim AM, convened today’s meeting between Akiva Hamilton of Shurat HaDin, World Vision Australia’s General Counsel, Ms Seak-King Huang, and Professor Tim McCormack, advisor to World Vision Australia.
Peter Wertheim
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the issues that have been canvassed in correspondence between Shurat HaDin and World Vision Australia regarding World Vision Australia’s AusAID-funded project with the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) in Gaza.
Several ideas were put forward with a view to achieving a resolution of the issues.
The parties have agreed to consider these ideas in good faith in further detail and to communicate with one another again once they have done so.
While these ideas are under consideration by both parties, Shurat HaDin has agreed to postpone the commencement of any litigation relating to this matter.
Mr Wertheim urged all parties to refrain from further public comment on the matter while these ideas are under consideration.
From all I have seen and read, Shurat haDin is engaged in frivolous and vexatious activity that verges on the paranoiac. It brings into question the motivations of such organisations, interfering in the legitimate overseas aid activity of Australia, activity that is surveilled by the well-funded intelligence agencies of the Australian government.