Liam is the executive director of the New Israel Fund Australia Foundation, an organisation committed to realising the values of Israel's Declaration of Independence by funding organisations working for freedom, equality and social justice.
He is a former national chairperson of the Australian Union of Jewish Students, and was a columnist for the Australian Jewish News. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Deakin University and an Executive Master of Arts from the University of Melbourne.
This article was originally published at The Daily Beast.
For two weeks this month, Hagai El-Ad, executive director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), visited Australia as a guest of the New Israel Fund Australia Foundation. Only 18 months old, NIF Australia has already achieved a significant aim of its creation: to begin anew a conversation about Israel and Judaism in Australia.
Continue reading “Australia’s Disneyfied Israel” »
A shorter version of this article appeared as an op-ed in the Friday 20th April 2012 edition of the Australian Jewish News. See the original article, as published.
IT DIDN’T take long for parts of the Jewish world to attack Peter Beinart’s latest book, “The Crisis of Zionism”. And it’s no wonder either – for parts of the Jewish community establishment around the world, it is fundamentally at odds with their values and their strategy. Continue reading “The crisis of Zionism and the Diaspora” »
This article was originally published on ABC’s The Drum website.
The jostle for the Republican nomination to challenge US President Barack Obama, when it comes to Israel, is quickly becoming a race to the bottom.
While it’s not surprising that with the virulent “Obama hates Israel” campaign in recent years these candidates would move to the right, it may well be they’re reaching new lows. Continue reading “Politicians’ pandering does no good for Israel” »
This article was originally published in the Jerusalem Post.
This past World Zionist Congress, the 36th, honoring Theodor Herzl’s 150th birthday, was the first we have ever attended. We both grew up in Zionist youth movements in Australia and developed strong Jewish and Zionist identities and passions for activism.
We went to Jewish day schools and learned about the Jewish people, its spirit and its mission, and understood our responsibilities as a people, and as individuals. Continue reading “From the future of Zionism to a near-violent brawl” »
This op-ed originally appeared in The Australian.
THERE are few global conflicts, few issues across the world that give rise to heated debate more than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There are those with vested interests and investments on both sides that attempt to draw in the undecideds.
Both sides undoubtedly believe themselves to be in the right. Continue reading “Respect, compromise only way for middle east peace” »