Editing AIJAC (section)

==Criticism==
===Palestinian Authority===
According to Reich, [[Palestinian Authority]] officials have expressed criticism of AIJAC's pro-Israel advocacy work and media management. The-then Head of the General Palestinian Delegation to Australia [[Ali Kazak]] alleged that AIJAC tried to prevent factual reporting  by the Australian media on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Kazak was particularly critical of an AIJAC report criticising the Australian public broadcaster [[Special Broadcasting Service]] (SBS), which he claimed tried to suppress what he referred to as "Israel's internationally condemned bloody occupation, violations and war crimes committed on a daily basis against the defenceless Palestinian people on the pretext that such coverage is pro-Palestinian".{{sfn|Reich|2004|p=201}}{{full citation|date=October 2024}}{{better source|date=October 2024}}

===Arab Australians===
AIJAC has also clashed with local [[Arab Australians|Arab Australian]] community organisations and media. Executive Director Rubenstein criticised local Arab community groups for alleged hypocrisy in opposing the introduction of the [[Racial Vilification Act 1996|Racial Vilification Act]] but being the first to use it. He also alleged that local Arabic newspapers and programs promoted extremism.{{sfn|Reich|2004|pp=200-201}}{{full citation|date=October 2024}}{{better source|date=October 2024}}

In November 1995, the Australian Arabic Council (ACC) lodged a complaint against AIJAC's predecessor organisation Australia-Israel Publications after a staff member named David Pryce-Jones remarked that it was an Arab habit to assassinate prime ministers in response to the [[Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin|assassination]] of Israeli Prime Minister [[Yitzhak Rabin]] by Israeli ultranationalist [[Yigal Amir]]. In response, the ACC lodged official complaints against AIP and the ''[[Herald Sun]]'' with the [[Australian Press Council]] and the [[Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission]]. In December 1997, the AIP published a public apology in the ''Herald Sun''.{{sfn|Reich|2004|p=201}}{{full citation|date=October 2024}}{{better source|date=October 2024}}

===Journalists===
AIJAC has received criticism for allegedly serving as a pro-Israel lobby group in Australian politics and the media. Left-wing Australian Jewish journalist [[Antony Loewenstein]] has criticised AIJAC for promoting a binary view that Israel is committed to seeking peace and that the Palestinians have spurned opportunities for peace, claiming that AIJAC dislikes or distrusts Arabs and Palestinians.{{sfn|Loewenstein|2006|pp=169-170}}{{full citation|date=October 2024}}{{better source|date=October 2024}} Loewenstein has also criticised AIJAC for lobbying the two Australian public broadcasters, the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] (ABC) and SBS to conform to a pro-Israel, pro-American, and anti-Arab agenda under the pretext of ensuring balance. Loewenstein has alleged that AIJAC has used the media complaints process to harass ABC and SBS reporters and senior management over their coverage of the [[Gulf War|First Gulf War]], the [[Battle of Jenin (2002)|Battle of Jenin]], and the [[Israel-Palestine conflict]]. According to Loewenstein, AIJAC has also blocked the airing of documentaries and films sympathetic to the Palestinians such as [[Hany Abu-Assad]]'s ''Ford Transit'', [[Yoav Shamir]]'s ''[[Checkpoint (2003 film)|Checkpoint]]'', and Simone Bitton's ''The Wall''. Loewenstein blamed AIJAC's lobbying campaigns for demoralising journalists, contributing to staff departures, and low morale. He has likened AIJAC's media monitoring activities to that of other pro-Israel watchdogs including [[HonestReporting]] and the [[Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America]].{{sfn|Loewenstein|2006|pp=187-203, 221-222}}{{full citation|date=October 2024}}{{better source|date=October 2024}} In response, AIJAC analyst Ted Larkin criticised Loewenstein's book ''My Israel Question'' for alleged factual inaccuracies and glossing over the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]]'s support for [[Saddam Hussein]] and Palestinian [[suicide bombing]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lapkin |first1=Ted |title=Antony Loewenstein's Reign of Error |url=https://aijac.org.au/op-ed/antony-loewenstein-s-reign-of-error/ |publisher=AIJAC |access-date=22 August 2019 |date=7 August 2006}}</ref>

Similarly, senior [[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] and former ''[[The Australian]]'' journalist [[John Lyons (journalist)|John Lyons]] has criticised AIJAC for favouring pro-Israel journalists while attacking journalists whose reports and stories they did not agree with. Lyons has alleged that critical journalists have received abuse on social media.{{Sfn|Lyons|2017|pp=39-40}}{{full citation|date=October 2024}}{{better source|date=October 2024}} Lyons cites an attempt by AIJAC to discredit a story that he had published in the ''Weekend Australian'' highlighting the plight of a Palestinian travel agent named Nasser Jaber who had been evicted from their home in Jerusalem. According to Lyons, AIJAC was supported in this episode by the Israeli Embassy in Canberra and the ''[[Australian Jewish News]]''.{{Sfn|Lyons|2017|pp=91-203}}{{full citation|date=October 2024}}{{better source|date=October 2024}} Lyons has also claimed that AIJAC tried to sabotage his career as ''The Australian''{{'s}} Jerusalem correspondent by trying to discredit his news reports. He has also criticised AIJAC for pushing Australian foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction.{{sfn|Lyons|2017|pp=250-263}}{{full citation|date=October 2024}}{{better source|date=October 2024}} In response, ''AIR'' magazine editor Tzvi Fleischer has defended AIJAC's criticisms of Lyons' media reports, alleging that he had an anti-Israel bias. AIJAC senior policy analyst Ahron Shapiro also criticised Lyons' memoir ''Balcony Over Jerusalem'' for promoting what he regarded as a distorted, negative image of Israel.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shapiro |first1=Ahron |title=How to Understand John Lyons' "memoir" Balcony Over Jerusalem |url=https://aijac.org.au/fresh-air/how-to-understand-john-lyons-memoir-balcony-over/ |publisher=AIJAC |access-date=22 August 2019 |date=17 November 2017}}</ref>

===Politicians===
Former [[Premier of New South Wales]] and [[Minister for Foreign Affairs (Australia)|Australian Foreign Minister]] [[Bob Carr]] has criticised AIJAC and pro-Israel elements within the [[Gillard government]] for exerting an unhealthy influence on Australian foreign policy towards Israel and the Palestinian Territories in his 2014 memoir ''Diary of a Foreign Minister''; contending that it hurt Australia's relations with the Arab-Muslim world. Carr also clashed with Prime Minister [[Julia Gillard]] on Israel, at one point threatening to resign unless Gillard dropped Australia's opposition to Palestinian efforts to upgrade their [[United Nations]] membership to non-member observer status.{{sfn|Carr|2014|pp=186-187, 212-214, 230-240}}<ref name="ABC 10 Apr 2014">{{cite news |title=Former foreign minister Bob Carr says 'pro-Israel lobby' influenced government policy |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-09/bob-carr-lashes-out-at-melbourne-pro-israel-lobby/5379074|access-date=22 August 2019 |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |date=10 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Swan |first1=Jonathan |title=Bob Carr's texts to Gillard reveal 'extraordinary' influence pro-Israel lobby had on former PM |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/bob-carrs-texts-to-gillard-reveal--extraordinary-influence-proisrael-lobby-had-on-former-pm-20140410-36dys.html |access-date=22 August 2019 |newspaper=[[Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=10 April 2014}}</ref>

In response to Carr's criticisms, AIJAC National Chairman Mark Leibler defended the group's efforts to lobby Australian Prime Ministers and rejected Carr's claims of a powerful pro-Israel lobby as a "figment of his imagination".<ref name="ABC 10 Apr 2014" /> Leibler also rejected Carr's claims that AIJAC took an extreme right wing view of Israel and reiterated AIJAC's commitment to a [[two-state solution]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Leibler |first1=Mark |title=Bob Carr's 'Israel lobby' claims inaccurate, bizarre |url=https://aijac.org.au/op-ed/bob-carr-s-israel-lobby-claims-inaccurate-bizarr/ |publisher=AIJAC |access-date=22 August 2019 |date=11 April 2014}}</ref> AIJAC policy analyst Ahron Shapiro also criticised Carr for attempting to downgrade Australia's relations with Israel.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shapiro |first1=Ahron |title=Bob Carr's "slick" manipulation of the facts |url=https://aijac.org.au/update/bob-carr-s-slick-manipulation-of-the-facts/ |publisher=AIJAC |access-date=22 August 2019 |date=11 April 2014}}</ref> By contrast, Loewenstein has praised Carr for challenging AIJAC, alleging that AIJAC's lobbying activities and Ramban trips promoted a negative view of Palestinians and isolated Australia in international community.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Loewenstein |first1=Antony |title=Bob Carr was right to start a debate on the influence of the Zionist lobby |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/15/bob-carr-was-right-to-start-a-debate-on-the-influence-of-the-zionist-lobby |access-date=22 August 2019 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=15 April 2014}}</ref>