Independent Australian Jewish Voices

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Independent Australian Jewish Voices (IAJV) is an Australian Jewish advocacy organization that opposes some of the current Israeli government's policies. IAJV says that it condemns violence by both Palestinians and Israelis.[1]

Independent Australian Jewish Voices was founded on March 5, 2007, following the emergence of similar groups in Britain (Independent Jewish Voices) and Germany (Schalom 5767), as well as in the United States (Jewish Voice for Peace) and Netherlands (Een Ander Joods Geluid). Its statement of principles was published in various Australian newspapers with 120 signatories, including prominent Australian academics, writers and lawyers. Three weeks after the launch, the number of signatories had grown to 450.[2]

In common with other such groups, IAJV is concerned about what it describes as the narrow range of opinion that is available in the mainstream media concerning Israel and Palestine and with the uncritical allegiance of the leadership of the organized Jewish community to Israeli government policy. Its founding statement criticized those who vilify Jewish critics of Israel by labeling them "self-hating" or disloyal.[1][2]

Contents

[edit] Signatories

Among the signatories to the group's declaration are philosopher Peter Singer, author and journalist Antony Loewenstein, and academics and other public figures.[3]

[edit] Launch

The launch of IAJV was followed by a great deal of media coverage under such headlines as “New group takes on Jewish lobby”.[4]

Colin Rubenstein, executive director of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, described IAJV as "dangerous and unrepresentative" and said that "some of the individuals are clearly committed to the delegitimization of Israel."[5] A March 8, 2007, editorial in the Australian Jewish News characterised IAJV members as deserving “contempt”.[citation needed] Others compared the signatories with concentration camp “kapos”.[citation needed] Melanie Phillips labeled groups such as IAJV "Jews for Genocide".[citation needed]

In response, IAJV said that "leaders in the Jewish community have not seen fit to repudiate such vilification, but on the contrary, have engaged in just such efforts to smear members of the group, while at the same time protesting that there is no attempt to suppress critical voices."[6]

[edit] 60th anniversary of Israeli independence

In March 2008 some of the original IAJV signatories signed a public statement saying that celebrating the 60th anniversary of the 1948 establishment of the State of Israel was a "celebration of the triumph of racism and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians". Some people whose names were included in the advertisement said that they had not consented. According to IAJV, this problem involved only two of the 70 signatories.[7]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Statement of Principles: A Call for an Alternative View, Independent Australian Jewish Voices.
  2. ^ a b About Us, Independent Australian Jewish Voices.
  3. ^ Signatures, Independent Australian Jewish Voices.
  4. ^ New group takes on Jewish lobby, The Age, March 6, 2007.
  5. ^ Aussie Jews challenge pro-Israel stance, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, March 5, 2007.
  6. ^ Independent Australian Jewish Voices.
  7. ^ Jewish voices discord after Israel ad, The Australian, March 15, 2008.

[edit] External links

This article about politics is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.