Following my talk last Friday at Sydney’s Imam Husain Islamic Centre, one of the organisers of the event, Ali Alsamail, asked if I would publish a Muslim perspective on the proceedings. The following piece is by him: Imam Husain Islamic Centre is unique among places of worship. In my visits there, I always find a…
Showing all posts tagged Independent Australian Jewish Voices
Be uncritical or shut up
Zionists constantly tell us that Israel is a holy entity that most Jews love unconditionally and want to feel closer to. Perhaps not: Although American Jews and Israelis share a strong and mutual feeling of solidarity, U.S. coreligionists have a very low willingness to strengthen the relationship, according to a new study on the subject.…
Saying no to outright bigotry
Independent Australian Jewish Voices blogger Michael Brull on why any form of anti-Semitism cannot be allowed to seep into the pro-Palestinian campaign. It should be loudly condemned if it ever does.
Imam Husain Islamic Centre talk on Israel/Palestine
I spoke last night to a packed room of around 170 people at Sydney’s Imam Husain Islamic Centre (all photos here): I was honoured to engage with a large Muslim audience (as I was told that the idea of a Jew speaking to such a group happened rarely, if ever, due to the fear of…
Where does the arrogance come from?
An open letter to the Israeli ambassador of Australia, penned by the Independent Australian Jewish Voices blogger Michael Brull.
Get Up! takes on Israel/Palestine
Get Up! is Australia’s biggest progressive organisation, modelled on US MoveOn.org. Get Up! has shied away from tackling the Israel/Palestine issue, preferring to focus on more domestic concerns. Its success in Australia is undeniable, though I know a number of members have been frustrated with its silence over the Middle East. But maybe that is…
This is not being done in our name
I spoke at the Gaza rally in Sydney yesterday. My fellow Independent Australian Jewish Voices co-founder, Peter Slezak, was invited to address the Melbourne protest. His speech was an eloquent expression of Jewish dissent against Israeli crimes: We have a responsibility to turn our moral concern into meaningful action, because it is here, in the…
Speech against the war in Gaza
I gave the following speech at the rally against the war in Gaza in Sydney today in front of roughly 5000 people: Stop the War on Gaza Rally 18/1/09 I stand before you as a human being first and a Jew second. The war against the Palestinian people in Gaza has shown Israel’s true face…
Failure on every count
The conflict between Israel and Hamas should give us cause to pause and wonder what the Jewish state has become. War crimes are taking place: “There is no doubt that Israel is using phosphorous bombs over Gaza. Israel is flagrantly violating the Fourth Geneva Convention,” says Raji Sourani, head of the Palestinian Center for Human…
IAJV Gaza update
The following letter was sent yesterday to the Independent Australian Jewish Voices email list: Dear friends, The situation in Gaza has continued to deteriorate and nothing in our original statement has been shown to be unjustified by subsequent events. Only the numbers of dead and injured have changed to around double our figures while official…