Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith. Photo: AJN file

NAOMI LEVIN

THE federal Government has denied a shift in Middle East policy, despite changing Australia’s vote in the United Nations on a motion on Palestinian self-determination.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said Australia’s UN voting pattern is strongly based on the country’s “long-standing support for the Middle East peace process”, including a two-state solution.

Representatives of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) and the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC)  wrote to the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister asking for an explanation about the vote change.

The vote in question was in a committee of the General Assembly earlier this month. The motion reaffirms the right of Palestinian people to self-determination and urges all states to help the Palestinian people realise this.
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The Adass Israel school in Elsternwick. Photo: AJN file

AJN STAFF

ADASS Israel School has been awarded a $1.5 million Government grant for the construction of a hospitality and training centre.

To be located at the school’s main campus in King Street, Elsternwick, the grant is part of the federal Government’s multi-billion dollar Trade Training Centres in Schools program.

While all secondary schools were eligible for grants worth between $500,000 and $1.5 million, funding approval was based on the needs and application of each school.

Education Minister Julia Gillard said the funding will be used to construct and equip a training facility at the school, with the new building to include a kosher hospitality kitchen complete with cooking, preparation, storage and multi-purpose areas for a training restaurant and general hospitality learning.
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Anti-Semitic graffiti. Photo: AJN file

NAOMI LEVIN

TOUGHER sentences for perpetrators of hate crimes are a step closer in Victoria after the Sentencing Advisory Council examined the issue. Led by Professor Arie Freiberg, the Sentencing Advisory Council recommended the Victorian Government legislate to increase sentences for crimes that are motivated by hatred or prejudice.

In its report, the Council said tougher sentences would not only punish the offender, but would also denounce the offender’s actions and “possibly deter other would-be offenders from committing crimes that are motivated by hatred or prejudice”.

Jewish parliamentarian Jennifer Huppert said the Council’s recommendation -– which came just over a month after the government announced plans for tougher hate crime sentences -– meant the change was a step closer to becoming law.

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RABBI JAMES KENNARD

IN less than two years, teachers and school students across the country will experience the greatest change ever in teaching in Australia. The next stage of the Rudd’s Government’s “Education Revolution” will see all schools teaching to the same national curriculum from 2011. The curriculum will prescribe the content and required level of achievement for each school year in maths, English, science and history, with other disciplines to be included in subsequent phases.

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RON WEISER

Ron Weiser

ONCE again Israelis have gone to the polls and once again we can try and read the tea-leaves.
A real positive, not withstanding how people who supported losing candidates wish to present it otherwise, is that Israelis showed that their enthusiasm to vote has increased and not diminished since the previous election. 2003 saw the record turnout of 67.8 per cent of the electorate casting their vote. By 2006 that had dropped to 63.2 per cent.

 This election saw the trend reversed with 65.2 per cent of the eligible electorate voting. It is also interesting to note that Israeli Arabs have been consistent in continuing to cast their votes and have not despaired of Israeli democracy — as so often falsely claimed by Israel’s detractors — achieving 8 seats in 2003, 10 seats in 2006 and 11 seats in this election, on top of those who stood within the other Jewish parties. When Ariel Sharon was elected in 2001 he was initially hailed as a “right winger”, whatever that actually means.

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NAOMI LEVIN

THE United Nations, plus five charity organisations, will be responsible for distributing $5 million in aid provided by the Australia Government for the people of Gaza. Bob McMullan, the parliamentary secretary for international development assistance, announced on Friday how the latest round of aid money would be allocated.

World Vision Australia, Save the Children Australia, Oxfam Australia and CARE Australia will each receive $425,000, while the Australian Red Cross will get $300,000. Read the full story