Senator, Journalists struck by feeling of history during Israel study visit
'A fair balance of perspectives from Israeli and Palestinian speakers' and 'a broad synthesis of current affairs … politics, history, religion and theology.'
“Complex, longstanding and evolving,” was how Senator Andrew McLachlan described the issues surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to an Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) supporters’ function last week.
The Senator spoke alongside opinion editor of The Australian Nicholas Jensen and columnist Gemma Tognini, all of whom had recently returned from separate politician and media study visits to Israel as part of AIJAC’s Rambam study program.
Senator McLachlan, a long-time supporter of Israel, said the trip “improved the depth of my knowledge”. Reflecting on the importance of archaeology in demonstrating the thousands of years of Jewish connection to country, he noted how differently the Jewish relationship to the Land of Israel is treated compared to that of First Nations peoples in Australia.
“Being there and standing in the remains of the Palace of David is thought provoking for an amateur student of history,” he said. “This experience reinforced to me the incredible importance of the City of David for the Jewish people.”
Like the Senator, Jensen was also struck by the feeling of history inside Israel, particularly at famous biblical and religious sites like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Temple Mount, saying, “I think it’s impossible to be in these places and not feel the electricity of the past … almost coming up from the ground to meet you.”
He described his impression of the Rambam program as “a fair balance of perspectives from Israeli and Palestinian speakers” and “a broad synthesis of current affairs … politics, history, religion and theology.”
Aside from the local and regional aspects, Jensen also touched on what he’d learned about the geopolitical developments in the Middle East and Israel. “With China’s emergent role in that region, the importance of this situation shouldn’t be difficult, I think, for an Australian audience to grasp,” he said.
Describing the program as “genuinely life-changing,” Tognini criticised the tone of media coverage of Israel in Australia. “The majority of the Australian media have this just insane sponsorship, I guess, of the Palestinian cause, without any seeming analytical or sober-minded analysis,” she said.
She criticised the Albanese Government for reversing Australia’s recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and condemned the so-called “pay-for-slay” policy of the Palestinian Authority, and noted the Australian Government’s apparent blind eye towards the issue.
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