FIANZ statement reveals double standards President of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ), Hazim Arafeh, issued a press release in which he said the representative body of New Zealand Muslims “strongly condemns the indiscriminate and disproportionate Israeli aggressions…” and “is deeply concerned…
Where is there a safe space for Jews? Recent events in NZ and abroad in the last month or so have got me wondering about where there is a safe space for Jews. In June, three people were thrown out of the Chicago “Dyke March”. Their sin? They…
The Temple Mount as a microcosm in 10 points Friday saw the heartbreaking murder of two Druze Israeli policemen guarding the Temple Mount, at the hands of three Arab Israelis. This has set off a bewildering chain of events that seems to exemplify a mentality that, if it predominates…
George Deek: redefining the future Last year when I was in Israel it was my great privilege to spend a fascinating few hours with George Deek, the young Christian Arab Israeli diplomat whose speech about being a Zionist went viral around the time of the…
Journalist’s lived experience and fact-finding shifts his perceptions In the summer of 2015, just three days after I moved to Israel for a one-and-a-half year stint freelance reporting in the region, I wrote down my feelings about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A friend of mine in New York had…
Reflections on Israel Part 2: Israeli society, diversity and social cohesion In July I went on a life-changing trip to Israel. This was my fourth trip to Israel, but I have not been there for 17 years. I have written in the past about other aspects and experiences of this trip….