Australian Jews take on Australia's pro-Israel Jewish lobby

After noting earlier in this blog the creation of the group "Independent Jewish Voices", a group of more than 100 prominent British Jews, formed in response to a perceived pro-Israel bias among that country’s major Jewish organizations, a similar group has formed in Australia reports The Age.

A BREAKAWAY group from Australia's main pro-Israel Jewish lobby organisations was launched yesterday with the backing of leading Jewish academics and identities.

The group, Independent Australian Jewish Voices, attracted the support of 120 Jewish Australians, including a state MP and a former federal Labor government minister.

"We are Jews with diverse opinions on the Middle East who share a deep concern about the current crisis in the region," the group says. "The Jewish establishment does not represent the full range of Jewish opinion."

Among the supporters are ethicist Professor Peter Singer, based at Princeton University; Professor Arie Freiberg, dean of law at Monash University; Robert Richter, QC; Dr Moss Cass, a former Whitlam government minister; Louise Adler, chief executive of Melbourne University Publishing; Ian Cohen, of the NSW Greens; Eva Cox, of the Women's Electoral Lobby; Professor Dennis Altman, of La Trobe University; Henry Rosenbloom, of Scribe Publications; and Professor Ephraim Nimni, based at Queen's University in Belfast.

Source: New group takes on Jewish lobby - National - theage.com.au