The Jewish Independent is hosting Sir Mick Davis and Mike Prashker of The London Initiative (TLI) in collaboration with The Melbourne Hebrew Congregation and the Great Synagogue in Sydney. This community-wide conversation purports to be one that will explore the future of Israel’s democracy and the role of the Jewish Diaspora in shaping it. 

However as the noted pro-Israel advocate Melanie Phillips has pointed out in an article titled 'Netanyahu Derangement Syndrome', the founders of the TLI are waging what amounts to a bitter campaign to attack Netanyahu, who Davis and Prashker claim has done nothing less than betray Zionism itself.

The big problem though is that the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) has bought into this charade and are endorsing it, while orthodox synagogues are hosting it.

I spoke with former ZFA president Danny Lamm about the political wrangling at the World Zionist Congress and how that links into this issue with the TLI. (0:27-21:48)

Furthermore I discussed the concerns over the TLI's visit to Australia with Tamir Aloni, who represents the Australian Jewish Association and with pro-Israel blogger Shane Shmuel, a guest on my show a couple of times recently. (21:54-43:53)

Also on the show I played an excerpt from a media briefing that took place just prior to the UN Security Council resolution sponsored by the United States, which explicitly includes the term “Palestinian state,” sparking controversy and concern in Israel. (43:53-56:46)

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ariella Noveck is a broadcast journalist and the co-founder of BottomLine Media and the nonprofit ShieldGiving. She brings over a decade of experience in news, public affairs, and nonprofit communications, contributing to CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC, ABC, FOX, MSNBC, and CBS News.

Ariella specializes in political and strategic communications and is deeply committed to combating antisemitism, supporting humanitarian efforts, and addressing bias across media and politics. 

Joining me is Eva Migdal, an educator, writer and community radio producer with a long history in media and social innovation.

[Full interview]

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ariella Noveck is a broadcast journalist and the co-founder of BottomLine Media and the nonprofit ShieldGiving. She brings over a decade of experience in news, public affairs, and nonprofit communications, contributing to CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC, ABC, FOX, MSNBC, and CBS News.

Ariella specializes in political and strategic communications and is deeply committed to combating antisemitism, supporting humanitarian efforts, and addressing bias across media and politics. 

Joining me is Eva Migdal, an educator, writer and community radio producer with a long history in media and social innovation. (0:27-30:09)

Deborah Conway and her husband Willy Zygier had their concert last Friday at the Brunswick Ballroom cancelled because of serious threats of harassment and intimidation led by a group calling itself Merri-bek & Northern Suburbs for Palestine.

This pair of musicians, not shy to show their support for Israel and the Jewish community, have just completed a tour around the country and have had to face menacing actions by anti-Israel protesters at most venues where they have performed.

Their latest album is called Right Wing Propaganda (subtitled Songs You Can Trust) and is available on vinyl, CD or via streaming platforms.(30:15-57:37)

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharren Haskel MK recently completed a six-day historic diplomatic tour in the Pacific region visiting Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, Tonga and New Zealand. 

I discussed the significance of her trip, the current challenging relationship between Israel and Australia and the outfall from the ICJ's non-binding decision obligating Israel to lift restrictions on UNRWA's operations and facilitate its activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, despite UNRWA's proven links to Hamas. (0:27-24:44)

Ola Najami is the Director for the Jewish-Arab Center for Peace, which operates under the guise of Givat Haviva, the Center for a Shared Society, founded by the Havatzelet Group, a civic organization for social change working to promote a model society in Israel, with an emphasis on creating a shared society for Jews and Arabs. (24:50-49:56)

Ola was previously a Co-Deputy Executive Director for Abraham Initiatives and worked for the Women Against Violence Association for eight years. She is keen to boost the representation of women in decision-making roles.

Australia has just commemorated the 50th anniversary of its Racial Discrimination Act and Andrew Wallace MP used the occasion to deliver a resounding speech in parliament in support of the Jewish community. (49:56-57:25)

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) resoundingly supported UNRWA’s mandate and continued operations in the so-called Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Court stated that Israel is obliged to lift restrictions on UNRWA’s operations and agree to and facilitate relief provided by the agency. 

David Bedein runs the website Israel Behind the News, reporting Israel’s reality to the media by retaining the services of the best Israeli and Arab journalists to cover, research and investigate current events. We spoke about how UNRWA is being allowed to continue operating despite irrefutable evidence that it is complicit with Hamas and educating Palestinian children to hate and kill Jews. (0:30-30:31)

Infected Mushroom is an Israeli musical duo formed in Haifa in 1996 by Erez Eisen and Amit Duvdevani. They produce and perform psytrance, electronica, dream trance and psychedelic music. They are one of the best-selling groups in Israeli music history in terms of both domestic and international sales. 

The duo are touring Australia and will be performing at the Forum next Monday. Together with Shane Shmuel and Gideon Cohen I spoke with the band, referring to protests from anti-Israel activists, who object to them just because they are Israeli. Israel has perhaps the biggest psy-trance scene in the world, with outdoor psy-trance parties happening most weekends during the summer. (30:37-52:49)

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this complete interview you hear top Israeli film director Erez Tadmore talking about his latest film Soda which is showing at JIFF

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2025 Australia-Israel Innovation Summit is an essential update for leaders across business, government & community grappling with the challenges of business and rapidly changing technologies, a significantly heightened cyber security threat landscape, and pivoting to the hyper-speed adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), now essential to competitive advantage.

Lior Handelsman is a General Partner at Grove Ventures, a venture capital fund managing over half a billion dollars, focused on early-stage investments in AI, deep tech, health-tech, and enterprise SaaS. He is the founder of SolarEdge Technologies, and helped transform the company from a start-up into a multi-billion-dollar global leader in smart energy

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is committed to delivering critical emergency food aid to the people of Gaza safely and directly. Working in partnership with NGOs and local Palestinian communities, GHF has aimed to ensure food aid reaches those who need it most.

GHF’s process of securely moving aid into a network of Secure Distribution Sites (SDSs) has been enabling the distribution of millions of lifesaving meals directly to the people of Gaza without interference or diversion.

I will be speaking with GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay about its aid distribution practices and what the role of the GHF will be going forward, since the advent of Trump's Gaza peace plan, having suspended its aid operations since the latest ceasefire. (0:30-25:56)

Australia-Israel Innovation Summit 2025

The 2025 Australia-Israel Innovation Summit is an essential update for leaders across business, government & community grappling with the challenges of business and rapidly changing technologies, a significantly heightened cyber security threat landscape, and pivoting to the hyper-speed adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), now essential to competitive advantage.

Lior Handelsman is a General Partner at Grove Ventures, a venture capital fund managing over half a billion dollars, focused on early-stage investments in AI, deep tech, health-tech, and enterprise SaaS. He is the founder of SolarEdge Technologies, and helped transform the company from a start-up into a multi-billion-dollar global leader in smart energy.(25:56-44:22)

You can hear from top Israeli film director Erez Tadmore talking about his latest film Soda which is showing at JIFF. (44:22-57:26)

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[Full interview]

Belle Jarniewksi is an expert on the weaponisation of Anti-Palestinian Racism in Canada. She is the key Canadian representative on IHRA's Committee on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial, and in her day job she is Executive Director at the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada.

Dr Andre Oboler is an internationally recognised expert in combating online hate and extremism. He is Founder and CEO of the Online Hate Prevention Institute, a not-for-profit organisation in Australia  seeking to prevent harm from all forms of online hate and extremism.

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pro-Israel activist Ran Bar-Yoshafat is a special forces soldier, author, attorney, historian and international speaker. Married on Oct 11, 2023 he returned to the battlefield the very next day.

After nearly 400 days of reserve duty on Israel's frontlines - in Gaza, Lebanon, and along Israel's borders - Ran brings powerful firsthand insights, untold stories and hard-won lessons from Israel's war against terrorism.

American audiences will get the opportunity in November to hear the truth about Israel's challenges directly from someone who has experienced them first hand.

Support the show: https://www.j-air.com.au/get-involved/membership/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.