Key sponsor boycotts writers’ festival over inclusion of Palestinian authors

Brisbane Times

Photo of Mohammed El-Kurd and Susan Abulhawa
February 21, 2023

“Palestinians are angry at their treatment by the State of Israel, not because their oppressors are Jewish, but because they live under a cruel and barbaric siege, their anger comes from people being killed, maimed and oppressed … We cannot censor the political views of Palestinians because they are unpopular” – Nasser Mashni, APAN president.

Australian universities split on decision to adopt controversial definition of antisemitism

The Guardian

Photo of University of New South Wales
February 6, 2023

The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network said it was “disturbed” by the lack of transparency. “Universities that have adopted the definition have not consulted with community groups or stakeholders,” said its president, Nasser Mashni. “Some universities have engaged with us on this issue, but others have either refused to acknowledge our correspondence, or misled us.”

Organising for Palestine on stolen land

Women on the Line - 3CR

February 6, 2023

Excerpts from APAN’s inaugural Palestine Solidarity Conference featuring Randa Abdel-Fattah, Micaela Sahhar, Kim Bullimore, Senator Lidia Thorpe, Noura Mansour, Rand Khatib, and Tasnim Mahmoud Sammak.

Palestine Solidarity Conference draws widespread support

Green Left

Photo of the Palestine Solidarity Conference
February 4, 2023

“Discussions centred on how to raise public awareness about Palestinian human rights and oppression, rather than be derailed by endless discussions on differences between internal Palestinian political forces or what a final Palestine/Israel state will look like,” writes Michael Bull.

Deadly word games: universities and defining antisemitism

Overland

Photo of Separation Wall
February 2, 2023

“Far from a necessary instrument in the fight against antisemitism, the IHRA definition is a hammer to crush Palestine advocacy, and has been the subject of intense debate internationally for several years,” writes Nick Riemer.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day: when violence becomes a way of life

The Canberra Times

Photo of the Holocaust Memorial
January 29, 2023

“Touring Israel and Palestine in 2014 as a guest of the Australian Jewish Affairs Council, and then again two years later with the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, the question I kept asking people was, how does this end, ever? Nobody even pretended to put forward a workable solution,” writes Mark Kenny.

Melbourne university first in Australia to take up controversial definition of antisemitism

The Guardian

Photo of University of Melbourne
January 25, 2023

“The IHRA has faced global backlash among Palestinian and Arab scholars who argue its definition of antisemitism, which includes “targeting the state of Israel”, could be used to shut down legitimate criticism of Israel and stifle freedom of expression, citing the banning of events supporting Palestinian rights on campuses after the definition was adopted by universities in the United Kingdom,” writes Caitlin Cassidy.

Tuesday Hometime

3CR

Photo of Jan Bartlett hosting Tuesday Hometime
November 15, 2022

“Here in Australia, the profile that APAN has been able to build has given a much greater sense of awareness amongst the Australian public and the leadership of Australia given greater awareness of the plight of Palestinians” – George Browning.

Calls for Australia to recognise state of Palestine intensify as Penny Wong refuses to commit to timeline

The Guardian

Photo of Penny Wong
November 10, 2022

“At a time when UN experts and the world’s leading human rights organisations are openly labelling Israel’s policies against Palestinians as the crime of apartheid, we would hope our government would be taking greater action in supporting the Palestinian people in their demand for justice” – Nasser Mashni, APAN president.

US group campaigning against Australia’s reversal of recognition of West Jerusalem as Israeli capital

The Guardian

Photo of the Old City of Jerusalem
November 3, 2022

“StandWithUs, founded in 2001, states that its goals are to “stand up for Israel” and fight antisemitism. But Rothstein has attracted criticism in the past for urging supporters of Israel to back its government’s policies,” writes Daniel Hurst.

Author of The Australian’s editorial on Jerusalem: Identify yourself and defend your views

Pearls and Irritations

Photo of Israel on a world map
October 25, 2022

“The Editorial muses that Labor will next proceed to the recognition of “a non-existent Palestinian state”. One would only hope so. That is the resolution of recent ALP conventions. Labor rank and file expect it of the Government. Such recognition by Australia would bring Australia into line with the majority of UN member states,” writes Paul Heywood-Smith.

Australia re-joins majority international position on the status of Jerusalem

Pearls and Irritations

Photo of an Israeli soldier and an Orthodox Jew praying at the wailing wall
October 23, 2022

“The Albanese government has enabled Australia to re-join the majority international position which insists the status of Jerusalem can only be resolved in a final peace agreement between the two parties. Taking this step has been urgent, for in recent years the Israeli government has insisted the whole of Jerusalem to be its ʹeternal and undivided capital’,” writes George Browning.

After defying Israel on Jerusalem, will Albanese recognise Palestine?

The Sydney Morning Herald

Logo of the Sydney Morning Herald
October 21, 2022

“At Labor’s 2018 national conference, the party passed a motion calling on the next Labor government to recognise Palestine as a state. At its national conference last year Labor incorporated the resolution into its official platform, saying the party “expects this issue will be an important priority for the next Labor government,” writes Matthew Knott.

Aus Reversed Its Stance On West Jerusalem, But Palestinians Were Left Out Of The Conversation

Pedestrian

Photo of Penny Wong and Palestinians waving their national flag
October 20, 2022

“Palestinian groups have publicly supported the reversal but made it clear it doesn’t mean anything for Palestinians who have been displaced from or persecuted in their homeland since Israel invaded and declared independence in 1948,” writes Aleksandra Bliszczyk.

Palestinian advocates welcome Penny Wong reversing Scott Morrison’s decision to recognise West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

The Canberra Times

Photo of Penny Wong
October 20, 2022

“Nasser Mashni, vice president of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, said Australia’s Palestinian population had consistently been made an “other” and excluded from public debate, portrayed as “one organic mob of bearded, screaming Islamo-fascists,” writes Finn McHugh.

Australia says it will end its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

NPR

Photo of Penny Wong speaking during a press conference
October 20, 2022

“The center-left Labor Party government agreed that the Australian Embassy would remain in Tel Aviv, as it has been. The Cabinet also reaffirmed that Jerusalem’s status must be resolved in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said” – The Associated Press.

Australia Drops Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital

NBC New York

Photo of Temple Mount
October 18, 2022

“The center-left Labor Party government agreed to again recognize Tel Aviv as the capital. The Cabinet also reaffirmed that Jerusalem’s status must be resolved in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said,” writes Rod Mcguirk.

Australia Reverses Its Recognition Of West Jerusalem

10 News First logo
October 18, 2022

“We wouldn’t accept Russia’s annexation of Kyiv for example, why should we accept that Israel can just annex Jerusalem” – APAN President Nasser Mashni.

Stand with Palestine, protesters say

Green Left

Image of pro-Palestinian protesters in Sydney holding a banner with the words 'break the siege of Gaza' and 'Free Palestine'
August 13, 2022

“The rally condemned Israel’s latest attack on Gaza and its killing of at least 46 people, including 16 children. It also highlighted the continuing oppression of Palestinians, who have endured more than 70 years of brutal occupation by the apartheid Israeli regime,” writes Isaac Nellist.

Relentless violence against Palestinians in Gaza..

Pearls and Irritations

Image of flags of Palestine and Israel painted on cracked wall
August 12, 2022

“Every individual, every nation has the right to defend itself from aggression. But no individual or nation has the right to so subjugate another, to so diminish their humanity that they are forced to live in a world where normal freedoms and decencies have long since been taken away,” writes George Browning.


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