On sliding doors I remember the day when, as a child, I walked into an elevator with my sister and parents, and as the doors were closing, my sister decided to test out whether the doors would open up if she stuck her arm…
The problem with Ardern’s Corbyn endorsement For many Jewish New Zealanders, their decision on which political candidate to support will at least partly be based on that candidate’s position on Israel and “the conflict”, as well as their sensitivity around anti-Semitism as it exists in 2017. …
From Amsterdam to Auckland – a story of modern Jewish migration Imagine you have a thriving business, a beautiful home in a photogenic European capital, your kids are in a great school, your partner has a stable and well-paid job. Your favourite restaurants and shops are around the corner. Your friends…
Censorship and the Amazing Bigotry of Artsplash De-judaisation is a term that has recently arisen to describe the growing movement to eradicate the history of the Jewish people, and in particular their millennia-long connection to the land of Israel. De-judaisation has now manifested itself on New Zealand’s…
Shifra Horn: Palestinians spurning offers of peace Fifty years ago this week, Israelis were euphoric. Our young army had just won the Six Day War and our newly created country in our historic homeland had been spared what we thought was our inevitable death and destruction. That…
Wanganui Chronicle and NZ Herald spread anti-Jewish conspiracy theory New Zealand’s role in the passing of UN Resolution 2334 in December 2016 appeared to unleash a wave of anti-Israel bias in the New Zealand media. Particularly disturbing were examples of classic anti-Semitic conspiracy theories appearing in opinion pieces. The…
Sunday Star Times publishes vile Sharon Murdoch cartoon Fairfax media outlet, Stuff, published fake news in January 2017, which led to a stream of anti-Semitic comments on social media. Now, the most recent edition of Fairfax’s Sunday Star Times has chosen to print a vile cartoon suggesting new…
Dominion Post editor launches fanciful anti-Israel polemic Who recently stated that Israel has “warmongering tendencies” and is engaging in a “deliberate balkanisation programme aimed at sabotaging the twin-state (sic) solution”? You would be forgiven for thinking it’s Hamas, as their charter contains very similar language. But, in…
A Kiwi link to Denial: The Canterbury Tales The movie Denial has just started screening widely in New Zealand cinemas. Rachel Weisz stars as Deborah Lipstadt, an historian and writer who was sued for libel by renowned Holocaust denier and anti-Semite, David Irving (played by Timothy Spall). What…
Young Australian Greens refuse to meet with Jewish students The Australasian Union of Jewish Students invited members the NSW Young Greens to a meeting with bipartisan young political staffers at the NSW Parliament. However the NSW Young Greens co-convenor, Kleon Toffetti, refused the invitation because “We have a longstanding…
The boundaries of responsible discourse [‘The Boundaries of responsible discourse’ by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis was one of a collection of essays on antisemitism and the lessons of the Holocaust, commissioned by the U.K. Holocaust Education Trust.] No-one enjoys being on the receiving end of…
Jewish Community backs HRC in hate crime reporting and no new laws The New Zealand Jewish Council has added its voice to those government ministers opposing the idea of new hate crime legislation but support the idea of collecting more information when crimes occur. Recording hate crimes as such, and identifying the…
United Nations agency continues to incite anti-Semitic violence A recent report presented by UN Watch to the United States congress has uncovered more than 40 alarming new cases of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) school teachers in Gaza, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria inciting…