Do Gantz and Lapid have the Right stuff to end Netanyahu’s dominance?
ANALYSIS: Although they offer the most credible challenge to dislodging Likud, centre parties will struggle to break through the common cause uniting Israel’s right-wing coalition, writes COLIN SHINDLER
Australian bodies ‘deeply concerned and dismayed’ by Kahanist alliance
ECAJ notes role of prime minister in ‘encouraging’ the agreement with racist Jewish Power, while ZFA omits reference to his involvement in the deal, which has been widely condemned
AG to announce this week whether he will file charges against PM
But an Israeli TV report claims Avichai Mandelblit is leaning against indicting the PM in the gravest matter, Case 2000, due to concerns it would weaken another case against him
Palestinians take over Gate of Mercy at Temple Mount
Weekend clashes may have been prompted by Jordan’s desire to strengthen its stature in Jerusalem. In Gaza, thousands call for ouster of PA President Abbas
Arab doctor breaks barriers in professional and personal life
Dr Mushira Aboo Dia is the first woman and the first Arab to head Physicians for Human Rights in Israel. Her career is dedicated to helping Palestinians, but five of her siblings have converted to Judaism
‘Hebrewness’ at the core of a new breed of Israeli Judaism
A new identity is sweeping Israel – simultaneously traditionalist, nationalist and liberal
Plus61J Voices
Jew or Australian – does it really matter which comes first?
JASON GLASS: It’s time to move beyond this mistaken idea that the two are at odds and we must prioritise one aspect of our identity over the other
A Jewish education can be even more powerful in government schools
JULIE SZEGO: The community needs to respect, even celebrate inclusive government schools for their own sake, not just because the rising cost of Jewish day schools is pushing more families there
Anti-Semitism hidden behind Parisian Yellow Vests comes out into the open
NATASHA LEHRER: What has emerged is a pernicious expression of the rhetoric that has roots in populist politics and traditional white French culture
Israel & Middle East
Large turnout at rally against deportation of Filipino workers
‘Our children were born and grew up in Israel,’ say migrant workers from the Philippines who organised the Shabbat get-together
Palestinian water line lasted six months until civil clampdown
In an act of defiance, Palestinian villagers living on West Bank land that Israel deems a closed firing range built a water line which gave them water for six months
Leifer case threatens PM’s clout over Haredim coalition partners
As Deputy Health Minister Litzman breaks his silence over claims of interference, his involvement may erode the PM’s influence over his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners
Jewish World
Shock, horror! Uggs, the famous Australian footwear, may be unkosher
A mixture of wool and linen might make the footwear contravene Kashrut laws. Ugg has denied the claims
Hundreds of bodies unearthed at former Jewish ghetto in Belarus
Mayor of Brest said the bones belonged to “victims of ghettos,” meaning Jews imprisoned there by the Nazis during the Holocaust
Pride without prejudice: young, Jewish and black
Why do so many people assume all Jews are white? Karen Glaser meets some English teens who challenge that stereotype
Australia
UK Holocaust denier David Icke banned ahead of Australian tour
Among the bizarre claims made by Icke, a former footballer and BBC sports presenter, are that a group of elite Jews bankrolled Adolf Hitler and started several wars
Candidate’s political quest unearthed seven potential citizenships
When Tim Hollo began his campaign for a seat in parliament, he never expected it to take a president’s signature and a 75-year-old document to renounce his dual citizenships
Vic Jewish school fee rises due to ‘gold plating’, says academic
Why are Jewish day school fees continually rising by more than the state average? It’s due to a ‘militarised escalation’ of pools and buildings, Dr David Zyngier tells Dash Lawrence
Culture & Thought
Eurovision, the ‘gay’ Olympics, spreads a message of tolerance
ALON AMIR: Over the past few decades, the gay community has found a spiritual home in the biggest musical show in the world. But there’s political substance behind the glitz
Tattooist of Toronto uses needles to renew his Jewish spirit
Joey Nicholson makes bold, American tradition-themed tattoos, often with Jewish symbolism, as a means of processing grief and Jewish identity
Polish hipsters revive Jewish musical treasures from before the war
Young Polish musicians have struck a chord with their repertoire drawing on the Jewish interwar soundtrack
Video & Podcast
PODCAST: What if there was a Yiddish haven in the Kimberley?
Leon Gettler, author of a book which examined the 1930s project to find a new home for Jews in Australia, talks to Dash Lawrence about its ongoing significance
PODCAST: How Sandy Dudakov helps feed Australia’s homeless
The vice-president of Fairshare tells DASH LAWRENCE about the challenges and rewards of redirecting wasted food to help feed those in need
PODCAST: Why Gary Samowitz decided to stand up for social change
The head of Stand Up tells DASH LAWRENCE he was on a predictable path until university opened his eyes to the bolder horizon of social justice.
Holiday Reading
HOLIDAY READING: Mother and daughter climb every mountain
LEXI LANDSMAN: Not satisfied with climbing one mountain, Sydney Jewish mother Cheryl Bart and her daughter Nikki went on to climb six more across all seven continents
Mossad was asked to assassinate Khomeini but refused
COLIN SHINDLER: The Israeli spy agency was asked by the Iranian prime minister to assassinate the returning Ayatollah. It refused and, within months, thousands of Jews had left the country
Better late than never: Michael Klinger’s cricketing dream comes true
RONNY LERNER: After years of knocking on the door, the prodigious batting talent from Mount Scopus was finally picked to play for Australia in 2017. Why did it take so long?
