As a Palestinian refugee who was ethnically cleansed with my mother by Zionist terrorist groups, and separated from my father when I was a few months old, I am deeply distressed and disappointed, like many in the community, to read your article in The Australian (“Left’s anti-Zionism is just the oldest hatred in disguise”, 5.8.2021) in which you are either deliberately or out of shameful ignorance conflating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, and showing a complete lack of knowledge of Zionism and the Palestine question. (more…)
Ali Kazak
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Australian academics open letter in solidarity with Palestine and call for action
As scholars, academics and students in Australia, a settler colony built on the dispossession of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, we stand in solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle for liberation and against Israeli settler colonialism. In the past month, Palestinians have faced brutal Israeli settler colonial violence in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque, the West Bank, Gaza, and in Palestinian cities and towns in Israel. This violence is rooted in a century of colonisation and Palestinian dispossession. (more…)
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Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s misuse of his position.
Josh Frydenberg announced a $2.5 million grant for the further development of the Adelaide Holocaust Museum and a $3.5 million grant to build a holocaust museum in Brisbane. On the other hand, he reduced Australia’s contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from $20 million to $10 million, as reported in the Australian Jewish News.
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ALI KAZAK. The UN exposes Australia’s shameful votes on the Israeli occupation.
The UN General Assembly’s decolonization committee, which includes all 193 member states, on Friday 15th November 2019 adopted eight resolutions condemning Israel’s occupation and violations against the Palestinians, its repressive measures against Syrian citizens in the Golan Heights, renewed the mandate of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and renewed the mandate of a UN special committee to investigate Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people. Australia unlike all European countries, New Zealand and the overwhelming countries around the world, supported only one resolution, opposed two and abstained on five. Below are the votes and the resolutions. (more…)
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ALI KAZAK. Hong Kong and Gaza: media dance to different tune
Compare the ABC’s and SBS’s coverage of the pro-democracy marches in Hong Kong and the “Marches of Return” in Gaza. (more…)
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On the Middle East, Tim Fischer was a man of courage and integrity
Tim Fischer belongs to a unique generation of politicians we are farewelling fast; a generation such as Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Fraser and Bob Hawke. A generation which whether you agreed with their ideology or not you could not but respect. (more…)
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ALI KAZAK. Another side of Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke was long known as a great friend of Israel, but in his years after retiring from Parliament, I came to know him as person increasingly concerned about Palestinian rights and getting a fair peace deal for Palestinians and Israelis. (more…)
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ALI KAZAK. Australia’s or Israel’s national interest?
In their arguments for recognising Jerusalem as “Israel’s capital” and moving the Australian embassy from Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, his deputy Josh Frydenberg and the Minister of Defence Christopher Pyne have been repeating Israel’s propaganda and hiding the truth from the public. (more…)
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ALI KAZAK. Mr Morrison in Jerusalem: serving war or peace?
In his recent press conference Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: he is open to the suggestion of recognition of Israel’s capital in West Jerusalem, “the opportunity” for “a capital for a Palestinian Authority” in East Jerusalem and the Government’s commitment to a two-state solution in the Middle East living side by side remains Australia’s policy. He informed us of his decision to vote against the United Nations resolution on Palestine to chair the G77, his proposal to the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to appoint defence attaches in the Australian and Israeli embassies to further enhance cooperation on defence and of Australia’s review of Iran nuclear deal. (more…)
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Why should Israel’s lobby have different standards?
The government’s plans to tackle foreign influence in Australian life provide an opportunity for the first time to define the level of Israeli activity designed to influence the making of our foreign policy. George Brandis didn’t plan this. But it is likely to be an outcome. (more…)