Only in their Dreams
For better or worse, Israel is famous mostly for its wars and their aftermaths; and for good reason. The drama, defiance, and frequently surprising twists and turns that accompanied the Jewish state’s seven conventional wars, two terror wars and three peace treaties, were followed closely by millions the world over. Many feel involved, one way or another, through intensive media coverage and amid pitched political debate. However, in a 60-year retrospective Israel’s domestic challenges seem to have been even more daunting than its neighbours’ hostility, and the way they were met even more impressive than Israel’s military victories. In fact, Israel’s domestic record makes it the post-colonial era’s most - some say only - successful exercise in political construction, social architecture and economic engineering. ...read more
Latest Updates
Dealing with Iran and its proxies/ Lebanon's latest crisis
Today's Update features some new pieces on strategies for dealing with the challenge posed by Iran and its proxies and allies, as well as analysis of the latest example of destablising behaviour by one such ally, Hezbollah, in Lebanon....read more
Sixty Years of Israeli Independence
This Update highlights just a few of the many articles being printed around the globe to celebrate or mark Yom Hatzmaut (Israel's Independence Day) today, the sixtieth anniversary (in the Jewish calendar) of Israel's foundation....read more
Durban II and the UN / Casualty levels in Iraq
This Update reports on the problematic deliberations last week at the UN in Geneva, as preparations, chaired by Libya, are made for a follow-up conference to the infamous 2001 Durban conference on racism. The original conference degenerated into a festival of antisemitism and ant...read more
Discussing an Israeli-Hamas ceasefire
The Israeli government is reportedly considering whether to accept a truce deal with Hamas and twelve other Palestinian terrorist factions brokered by Egypt, with senior Defence Ministry official Amos Gilad off to Egypt shortly to discuss the deal with Egyptian Intelligence Minis...read more
Opinion
As Israel turns 60, Jews rejoice and Arabs are in mourning - Bren Carlill
Last week, Israelis marked Yom ha-Atzma’ut (Independence Day), celebrating 60 years since the establishment of their country and the survival of a war aimed at preventing this. Palestinians are marking 60 years since al-Naqba (the Catastrophe), mourning the same thing....read more
Refugee return a poser for Israel - Adam Frey
Conventional wisdom holds that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict now is primarily a matter of borders and “occupation”. But as Israelis celebrate their Independence Day and Palestinians’ prepare to mourn their naqba (“catastrophe”), it’s clear t...read more
The time for peace has come - Colin Rubenstein
Next week, Israel will mark the 60th anniversary of its founding. Israel's story in that time has been an amazing and inspiring one, a fact too often forgotten in the debate over terrorism and violence, peace plans and peace processes, accusation and counter-accusation....read more
Revitalising Multiculturalism under Rudd - Colin Rubenstein
Australian Multiculturalism has been official bipartisan policy, federal and state, for more than 30 years and has helped create and sustain what is one of the most successful multi-ethnic, tolerant, democratic societies in the world. It contributes effectively to our social cohe...read more
Background
Essay: A Distant Affinity
Geopolitically, there is little reason to expect Australia and Israel to have any closer relationship than any other two states of a comparable size and similar distance from one another - say Brazil and Thailand... But, in reality, over the past 60 years, the relationship betwee...read more
Assessing the Iraq War - Again
The testimony delivered in the US Congress on April 8 by US Commander in Iraq General David Petraeus and US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker provides an opportunity to assess progress in Iraq since last September (the last time the two men were in Washington, DC). Seven months hav...read more
Scribblings: Polling the Surge
Has the surge in Iraq worked to improve the lives of Iraqis, giving them security and the chance of better lives? You hear a lot of different views on the subject, but if you look at the views of Iraqis themselves, the answer is very clear. According to a poll of Iraqis conducted...read more
Asia Watch: "Out, Damned Spot!"
It’s a sad commentary on much of the Islamic world that anyone seen to have a connection, however tenuous, with Israel or Jews is tainted and obliged to furiously deny any such link. So it was when Anwar Ibrahim, de facto leader of Malaysia’s People’s Justice Pa...read more
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