Israel's true friend

Yesterday saw a packed sell-out session at the Melbourne Writer's Festival on the new, now best-selling book by Antony Loewenstein, My Israel Question.

With Chairperson / convenor Louise Adler [CEO of MUP] speakers were the author, Peter Rogers [one time Oz ambasssador to Israel] Justice Alan Goldberg, human-rights activist and barrister Julian Burnside QC and Robert Richter QC.

The release of the book has led to the author being villified by certain sections of the Jewish community and accused of being anti-semitic, a self-hating Jew and anti-Israel - but at the same time studiously avoiding the critical issues raised in the book.

The Age, today, in reporting on yesterday's session reports:

"Prominent Melbourne barrister Robert Richter, QC, has called on the Jewish community to speak out when Israeli Government policies adversely affect the Jewish diaspora.

Mr Richter, speaking at a session of the Age Melbourne Writers' Festival yesterday, said author and commentator Antony Loewenstein, whose controversial book My Israel Question was the subject of the forum, had been, in a sense, a "truer and closer friend" to Israel than those who believed they "had the ear" of Israel's Government."

Read the full article here.

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