Against the background of increasingly heated internal opposition, the direction of the Israeli government is becoming clearer. Depending on one’s political point of view, Prime Minister Netanyahu is either unable or unwilling to resist the internal forces within large sections of his party and coalition, or is proactively pushing his agenda.
Australian visitors returning from Israel often remark on the energy and vibrancy they experienced during their stay. In our conversations, they share a common impression of their Israeli experience with me
Imagine a world where people from all nations and backgrounds come together to learn from the teachings of the Lord and walk in His paths. This is the vision presented in Micah 4:1-2
In May this year, many Jews and their friends will celebrate the 75th birthday of the State of Israel. The Jewish State has been violently opposed for over a century, since before it was a physical reality, even back while it was still a political idea.
In recent weeks, terrorism has grown exponentially. Since the beginning of the year, close to 20 people have been murdered in attacks in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem.
2022 was a busy year for me and my wife Tal, which was interspersed with the many professional challenges of a diplomat settling into a new home. However, from the very beginning of my time in Australia, the Christian community in particular has opened its heart to me, and made me feel warmly welcome as Israel’s representative in this wonderful country.
My wife Trixie and I had the privilege recently of representing Christians for Israel Australia at a historic and memorable gathering presented by SCAFI at Victory Life Centre in Perth
Announcing the publication of a new book “Unconditional – the Enigma of Antisemitism” by Author and Theologian Rev Fraser Harding.
“All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.” – Psalm 22:27 Going back to where it started! That was the strong feeling of the Indigenous members of ‘Avad Oz’, ICEJ Australia’s worship...
In early July I was invited to join the Victorian chapter of the Liberal Friends of Israel. I learnt about this initiative over a morning coffee with Noa Bloch and Lexi Kowal, the Political Affairs Director and former board member of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) respectively. Founded by Senator James Paterson, David Southwick MP and Tim Wilson MP, the network is already working with its NSW counterpart to build greater appreciation of the Australia-Israel friendship within the Liberal Party, attracting a large membership base in Victoria. Spokesperson David Van told I&CT, “we’ve been thrilled by the launch: the response has been extraordinary.” The Liberal Party will always be a Zionist Party The launch on 26 August drew more than 300 local supporters including 16 state Liberal MPs. The current Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg demonstrated his solid understanding of Israel’s history and spoke with great conviction in support of the bilateral friendship. Stalwart ambassador for the Christian Zionist community Jill Curry was well received. Curry gave a lucid summary of Christians’ rationale for supporting Israel before introducing Dave Sharma, former Australian Ambassador to Israel. On September 13, Sharma was preselected as the Liberal candidate for Turnbull’s former seat […]
The pulse of the land at the uttermost parts of the earth In the early hours of September 25, 1918, on the moonlit southern shore of the Sea of Galilee, white and aboriginal Australians executed the last horseback charge in military history to capture a small but fiercely-defended train station – Tzemach. Weeks later, World War 1 was over, and for the first time in nearly seven centuries, the Jews’ ancient homeland was free from Muslim control. As this article goes to press, the centennial of this little-known but critical Battle of Tzemach is being marked at the restored site, 11 months after the 100th anniversary of the famous victorious charge at Beersheba of the Australian 800 Light Horsemen. Beersheba began the liberation of the Land of Israel; Tzemach secured that liberty. ***** Last year—in the run up to Beersheba —I came to Australia to motivate for the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Multitudes of Aussies longed to see their country “lead the charge” as the first to move its embassy to this city. My 2017 journey took me to every major center around Australia, and from Elcho Island in the north, through Alice Springs, to Tasmania way down […]
Over the last few years, in the lead-up to the Beersheba centenary, I have actively promoted the view that Australia—in timely fashion and emulating its famed Light Horsemen—could once again lead the charge, recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and place its embassy there. In 2016, I sat in the Australian Embassy in Tel Aviv and asked then-Ambassador to Israel, David Sharma, why it was that his country would not take the initiative and do the right thing in Israel—as it had with every other one of its embassies and high commissions around the world—by placing its embassy in the designated capital. He replied that it was “not Australian statecraft” to do so. A few months later, I put the question to former Prime Minister Tony Abbott during a ‘chance encounter’ at Jerusalem’s Holocaust Memorial Museum. His response was very different: “If I was prime minister I would do it today.” Later that year, as we approached 100 years marking the Battle of Beersheba and the celebrated legacy of the 800 Light Horsemen, people around Australia responded to this voiced hope: that on this pivotal issue of the embassy move to Jerusalem, their nation might again show the maverick brand of […]