November 2012 | APAN joined protests in support of Gaza
APAN supported protest events against the atrocities in Gaza.
APAN Executive members Prof Peter Slezak and Rev Gregor Henderson spoke at the Melbourne rally. Watch video.
APAN also worked with parliamentarians to speak out, includingSenator Doug Cameron and Senator Lee Rhiannon
October 2012 | APAN urged Australian Government to support Palestine bid at UN
APAN campaigned strongly for Australia to support the Palestinian Authority’s bid to be recognised as a non-member observer state in the United Nations. We launched a public petition and letter writing campaign, as well as lobbied individual parliamentarians. Media reports indicate that while the Prime Minister wanted to vote against the resolution, she was convinced not to by her colleagues. The resolution was passed on 29 November, with 138 states supporting it. Australia abstained from the resolution. While this isn’t a yes, it also represented a significant break from Australia obeying whatever Israel asks of us, a shift we welcomed.
September 2012 | Hosting Ilan Pappe in Canberra
APAN organised for Israeli historian Prof Ilan Pappe to speak at the National Press Club. These event was delivered to a packed audience of 170 people, and televised by the ABC.
APAN also organised political visits for Professor Pappe, including meeting with then Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop MP.
June & August 2012 | APAN in Canberra
APAN had over 50 political meetings over two visits to Canberra, pressing for an urgent need for change of Australian policy to respond to Palestinian concerns.
These visits included hosting visiting Israelis Sahar Vardi and Micha Kurz who were in Australia as the guests of the Australian Jewish Democratic Society. A Parliamentary Friends of Palestine event where they spoke attracted 50 people.
Following the visit a number of parliamentarians spoke up for Palestine:
- Senator Nick Xenophon gave a parliamentary speech referring to our visit
- Melissa Parke MP spoke about the vital need to the UN body supporting Palestinian refugees.
- Senator Lee Rhiannon spoke about the need to save the West Bank village of Susiya from demolition
June 2012 | Limmud Oz
APAN worked with the Australian Jewish Democratic Society to be part of Limmud Oz – the festival of Jewish culture and learning. We presented a joint session with AJDS. We also participated in a ‘Limmud X’ event that was withdrawn from the program by organisers because of people’s connection with the BDS movement.
February 2012 | Supporting The Promise
APAN joined with other advocacy groups across the country in supporting SBS screening the critically acclaimed series The Promise and requesting for it to be shown again. Read APAN letter in support of The Promise. The Australian Council for Australian Jewry attacked the screening, through a formal complaint (which was not upheld) and Senator Abetz. Senator Kroger and Senator Ryan criticised the program in Senate Estimates.
