The
weekend-before-last the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) held its annual Plenary
Conference at the Sydney Jewish Museum. And while Israeli journalist Shmuel
Rosner’s presentations were both enjoyable and enlightening, the undoubted high
point of the Conference was his conversation with Malcolm Turnbull.
As someone who
has spent considerable time as a political media advisor in Canberra, the
back-and-forth between interviewer and interviewee was immediately
recognisable. Rosner posed incisive questions that Turnbull answered or deftly parried
with the aplomb of an old political hand.
When asked about
his attitude towards the Obama Administration’s Iran nuclear deal, Turnbull adhered to the Abbot Government line:
We have welcomed it cautiously. The best
that you can say for the agreement it is better than the status
quo because it does introduce some degree of over sight. I recognise and
empathise with the anxiety in Israel but as for just continuing the sanctions
indefinitely…the judgement’s been made by the P5+1.
Turnbull could
be – and was – more forthcoming
when asked about the shift within the ALP on the Middle East. Noting the
importance of broad-based support for Israel, he said:
I
think there is reason to be concerned. I think it is very important that
support for Israel is bipartisan … We see ourselves as having shared valued
with Israel. We see Israel as being in the first trench…in the first line
of the battle against extremists and terrorism. We are definitely on the same
side.
Meanwhile the Times of Israel is reporting
that last Thursday’s desultory rocket fire from Syria into the Galilee and
Golan is the joint work of Iranian’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and Palestinian
jihadis. In the IDF’s view this barrage of five rockets was clearly pre-meditated,
by contrast with the stray mortar shells that have occasionally hit the Golan
as crossfire in Syria’s civil war.
We are
fortunate that this incoming fire caused no casualties or property damage
beyond igniting a bushfire that was quickly extinguished. But as Ynet reports,
the IDF predicts we are likely to see more of the same in the weeks and months
to come.
The
Iranians want to heat up the front against us in the northern and southern
Golan," said the officer. "It’s in the Syrian and Iranian interest."
And of course,
Israel did not sit quietly in the face of this unprovoked attack, responding
with artillery and air strikes against 14 military targets in the Quneitra area.
On a more
positive note the Australian Jewish community last week was ‘kvelling’ with
pride over the appointment
of one of its own as Israel’s Ambassador to the Court of St James – the formal
title of a non-Commonwealth ambassador to the UK. Long-time Israeli government
spokesman Mark Regev, a graduate of Mt Scopus and Melbourne University, made
aliya in 1982, entering the ranks of the Israeli diplomatic corps in 1990.
Regev has
garnered a considerable public profile as the face of Israeli government policy,
braving the slings and arrows of media hostility in the best
Daniel-in-the-Lions’-Den tradition. Never losing his cool in the face of even
the most adversarial questioning he has earned the grudging
respect even of those not naturally well-disposed towards Israel:
If the men from Mars ever wanted to manufacture a PR man, they would
model their robot on Regev. No matter how formidable the interviewer, or how
aggressive the questioning, he never buckles under pressure. His disarming
Aussie accent and unfailing politeness – he calls interviewers "Sir"
and uses phrases like "I beg to disagree" … He is unlikely to win
sceptics to Israel's cause, but as a PR performer he is horribly compelling.
That’s high
praise indeed from a left-leaning newspaper like the Guardian, which over the years has
become notorious for its hyper-critical attitude towards Israel.
The Australian also recently featured a
story in its business section citing possibilities for collaboration between
Israel and Australia in the high-tech start-up sector. Under the headline
“Learn from Israel: Risk Brings Rewards”, the article cited an assessment by leading
Israeli venture capitalist Jon Medved on
Australia’s potential for hi-tech innovation:
“You guys have
tremendous brains, an innovative culture, a great Western-style economy and
tons of capital. Just look at your superannuation funds. It’s all there, now
it’s time to get it moving
But as the article noted, Australia has a way to go,
with only $100-to-$300 million invested in Australia annually compared to
almost $US5 billion invested in Israeli hi-tech start-ups.
But there are also things that Australians can teach
Israelis, as evidenced by what surely must be deemed the good news story of the week. An
article in The Australian highlighted
the visit to Israel of a delegation from Surf Lifesaving Australia to advise on
the establishment of a “Nippers” program to teach water safety skills.
Organised by Sydney surfing aficionado Steven Rubner, this initiative brought
Aussie life savers from Coogee to a beach near the coastal town of Ashdod where
they taught the basics to Israeli youngsters.
A frequent visitor to Israel, Rubner was shocked by
the drowning deaths of five Israelis over the course of a single weekend in
2013. Resolving to do something about it, he contacted Surf Live Saving
Australia’s Doug Hawkins, who “jumped at the chance to set up the Middle East’s
first junior life saving franchise.”
So there we have it – the good, the bad and the ugly.
A typical week in the ever-surprising, ever-predictable Middle East.
