Disproportionate chutzpa…writes Michael Kuttner

As predictable as day following night the reaction of the international community to Israel’s continuing search for the murderers of the three teenage students could have been anticipated. We were thus not disappointed or surprised when our expectations became fulfilled in all their hypocritical glory. Read more

Second chance denied. A tribute to Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaer and Naftali Fraenkel…from Sarah Bendetsky

My 7-year-old son really wanted that clay car. His eyes sparkled with joy as he couldn’t stop talking about the colours he would paint it with. No wonder that he opened the package way before we got home. Read more

Destory the evil and do good

“We sat here almost a month ago following the abduction, in hope and prayer that we might meet the press here again at a big celebration and unfortunately that’s not the case” Hebron Jewish community leader David Wilder at a media conference this week, Read more

United in hope and grief…writes Emily Gian

I have been running my fingertips over my keyboard for hours upon hours desperately trying to find the adequate words to describe the events in Israel in a way that would do justice to what has been taking place. Read more

After murder of Israeli teens, honing in on the ‘death culture’…writes Dror Eydar

What has the death culture that surrounds us sought to sell in the past hundred years? Look around: there are no Jews in Iraq and no “territories”in Syria, and nevertheless the angels of death gleefully slaughter each other. No science and no industry and no inventions that will benefit humanity. Just death, and it’s wrapped in a thick layer of damned political correctness that has distorted our thought process. Read more

Life and death…writes Michael Kuttner

There can be no bigger contrast between the Islamic cult of venerating death and the Jewish tradition of hallowing life. It is at times like this when the glaring differences are on display for all to see. It contains a lesson for all of us and in particular for those who continue to dwell in some sort of parallel universe where the victims of terror are categorized as authors of their own misfortunes. Read more

The Klinghoffer Opera and the American Jewish Establishment…writes Isi Leibler

The debate over the New York Metropolitan Opera’s performance of “The Death of Klinghoffer” raises serious questions about the functioning of American Jewish leadership. Read more

Palestine – Jordan Faces Looming Crisis With ISIS…writes David Singer

Jordan has mobilized its military forces along Jordan’s 180 kilometre border with Iraq – deploying rocket launchers, armored personnel carriers and tanks following the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS) reportedly taking control of the Trebil crossing between Iraq and Jordan on 23 June. Read more

The word from Hebron…from David Wilder

There are many people in Israel who feel like these past two weeks have been the longest two weeks in their lives. Since the moment the abduction became public knowledge, the tension is palpable. Read more

A Jungle or a Garden…writes Rabbi Michoel Gourarie

This coming Tuesday marks the 20th Yarhzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe o.b.m. Read more

Reality Deficiency Syndrome…writes Michael Kuttner

Events over the last few days have highlighted once again the prevalence of RDS, otherwise known as reality deficiency syndrome, amongst a wide swath of individuals. Defying any logic or common sense this condition is so pernicious and resistant to any treatment that those afflicted seem to succumb at every opportunity, no matter how illogical the outcome is proven beyond any reasonable doubt. Read more

You have the power…writes Rabbi Laibl Wolf

Should we have a glass of wine with dinner (candles are optional) because it assists with digestion? Or is it wiser to pause 30 minutes after the T-bone, because drinks dilute the digestive juices? Read more

A response to Double Talk … from Benjy Rutland

In his recent post Dr Ron Weiser argues that a group of ‘double speakers’ (those who claim to love Israel but don’t really) are manipulating the settlement issue and it is this group that presents a real danger to the Jewish community. Read more

Turning Goal Kickers into Green Thumbs

Players from AJAX Football Club volunteered to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty at a Gary Smorgon House Working Bee. Read more

As Europe slides into a Dark Age, Jews must review their future…writes Isi Leibler

Recent developments signal that the prospect of Europe sliding into a new Dark Age is now a horrifying reality. It is as though all the elements negating the open society have been blended into a witches’ brew to undermine Europe’s liberal cultural ethos. Read more

Rock the Casbah…a movie review by Roz Tarszisz

Gritty and uncompromising, Rock the Casbah is an Israeli-French production set in 1989 in Gaza during the First Intifada. Read more

Chasing Hamas…writes Emily Gian

It has now been almost a fortnight  since three Israeli teens, Eyal Yifrah, Gil-Ad Shaar and Naftali Frenkel were kidnapped in Gush Etzion while making their way home from their respective Yeshivot. The search, being coordinated by the IDF is entering into its 11^th day. Read more

How two women work to shift public opinion on Israeli sovereignty…writes Judy Lash Balint

Almost every day, Nadia Matar, 48, steers her battered white SUV along the hilly roads between Jerusalem and Gush Etzion to visit the soldiers stationed at Shdema. Read more

How the Federal Government is grooming us to be complicit in child abuse…writes Alan Rosen

There is often an unfortunate lag-phase in building the groundswell of public opinion against even the most blatant of human rights abuses, even against defenseless infants and children stuck for the longhaul in immigration detention. Read more

Palestine – Islamic and Arab Countries Fiddle While Syria Burns…writes David Singer

Australia’s decision on 5 June to no longer refer to East Jerusalem and the West Bank as “occupied territory” but rather “disputed territory” has provoked outrage among Islamic and Arab countries accredited in Australia. Read more

Will do…writes Rabbi Laibl Wolf

Every book on success-mastery will include a chapter on willpower, even nominating it as as the over-arching secret of success. Read more

A legal business get together…

The Young Jewish Leadership of Melbourne (YJLM) and OnKew joined forces for their second upscale cocktail party for Melbourne young adults, this time aimed at bringing young lawyers and businesspeople together for a social and networking event at the award winning CBD cocktail lounge “The Little Red Pocket”. Read more

Where do we go from now?…asks Ambassador Yosef Livne

The movements of the Middle Eastern See-Saw seem to be gaining a negative momentum. All over our region extremist and fundamentalist elements march triumphantly and raise the levels of anguish among moderates in the region and countries close and far.  Read more

Safe Travels…writes Rabbi Michoel Gourarie

A few years  ago on a  trip to New York an interesting thing happened both on the way there and again on the way back. After the plane had already pulled away from the gate, the captain announced that there was a delay due to a “maintenance signal problem”. Read more

Fair Dinkum Mate…writes Michael Kuttner

When the media burst forth with the breathless news that Australia had officially decided to undesignate half of our capital plus Judea and Samaria as occupied I immediately became suspicious. Read more

Our Islamic Fundamentalist Adversaries are Inhuman Barbarians…writes Isi Leibler

Fears for the well-being of the abducted teenagers dominate our minds and prayers and we share the pain of their parents and families. And the nation as a whole is displaying the unity that has always been the hallmark of the Jewish people when confronted with such situations. Read more

Six days that changed the world…write Peter Wertheim and Alex Ryvchin

It is one of those ironies of history that the controversy surrounding the federal government’s refusal to label any part of Jerusalem as “occupied” by Israel broke in the media on June 5, the anniversary of the start of the Six Day war in 1967.  Read more

Israeli president-elect Rivlin contrasts sharply with outgoing Peres…writes Alex Traiman

As a well-respected parliamentarian who has served as the government’s Minister of Communications and the speaker of the Knesset, Israeli president-elect MK Reuven “Ruby” Rivlin has the expected profile for his position. But when he takes the reins in July, Rivlin’s strong nationalistic ideology and low-key international presence will provide an immediate contrast to outgoing President Shimon Peres. Read more

Questioning Australian media…writes Asher Kozma

As Australian Jewry hopes and prays for the safe release of three Israeli teenagers kidnapped by a terrorist organisation, the Australian public is reading all about the ‘atrocities’ Israel is committing. Read more

Palestine – Negotiating Semantic Minefield Becomes Pressing Necessity…writes David Singer

Two former Australian Foreign Ministers – Bob Carr (2012-2013) and Gareth Evans (1988-1996) – have published an article this past week engaging in a semantic tug of war with Australia’s current Foreign Minister – Julie Bishop – over Australia’s recently declared policy of refusing to describe East Jerusalem as “occupied territory”. Read more

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