Mark Leibler meets with Gideon Sa’ar
Leibler described it as a productive exchange focused on the relationship between Australia and Israel, and the deeply troubling uptick in antisemitism in Australia
Australian Jewish communal leader Mark Leibler met with the Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in Jerusalem last Sunday.
While he was not in a position to relate the detail of the discussion, Leibler described it as a productive exchange focused on the relationship between Australia and Israel, and the deeply troubling uptick in antisemitism in Australia since October 7, 2023.
Leibler said the meeting was particularly timely, given this week’s visit to Israel by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, which the two men spoke about.
“I was left in no doubt about the level of concern in the Israeli government, and the foreign minister in particular, about the antisemitic abuse and harassment the Australian community has been enduring,” Leibler said.
“He said the concern was amplified by the fact that Australia had previously been regarded as the best place in the world to be a Jew, outside of Israel.”
In discussing a range of issues affecting Israel, with a focus on the Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, Leibler said that after speaking with Sa’ar he was left with the impression there was a genuine prospect that progress will be made in the ceasefire negotiation.
Indeed, just days later, early on Thursday morning Australian time, it was confirmed a deal had been reached.
Leibler said he felt that a new judicial reform proposal released by Sa’ar and Justice Minister Yariv Levin late last week “could serve as a productive basis for necessary reform” and may gain “sufficient consensus to proceed without fracturing Israeli society.”
Previous proposals, formulated before Sa’ar returned as a member of the Israeli Government in 2024, had seen thousands of Israelis protesting on the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
During his visit to Israel, Leibler was awarded the country’s highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Honour, by Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Leibler is the national chairman of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC).
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