Editing AIJAC (section)

===Lobbying and relationship-building===
AIJAC has lobbied and cultivated relations with the two major Australian parties, the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]s and [[Australian Labor Party]].{{sfn|Loewenstein|2006|p=162}}{{full citation|date=October 2024}}{{better source|date=October 2024}} AIJAC has invited politicians from both major parties on Ramban programs and dinner functions. In 2003, the Australian [[Minister for Foreign Affairs (Australia)|Foreign Minister]] [[Alexander Downer]], federal [[Leader of the Opposition (Australia)|Opposition]] and Labor leader [[Simon Crean]], and Labor Foreign spokesperson [[Kevin Rudd]] attended an AIJAC dinner function hosting former [[Prime Minister of Israel|Israeli Prime Minister]] [[Ehud Barak]].{{sfn|Reich|2004|p=200}} AIJAC also cultivated close relations with [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] [[John Howard]] with left-wing Australian journalist [[Antony Loewenstein]] crediting the organisation with influencing the [[Howard government]]'s pro-Israel foreign policy.{{sfn|Loewenstein|2006|pp=163-167}}{{full citation|date=October 2024}}{{better source|date=October 2024}}

AIJAC had also maintained a close relationship with Jewish Australian former Labor Member of Parliament [[Michael Danby]], a former AIJAC staffer who has articulated a pro-Israel standpoint on several occasions. Danby was involved in the Australian Parliamentary Friends of Israel and objected to [[American Jews|Jewish-American]] intellectual and dissident [[Noam Chomsky]]'s tour of Australia in 1995.{{sfn|Loewenstein|2006|pp=180-181}}{{sfn|Reich|2004|pp=205-206}}{{full citation|date=October 2024}}{{better source|date=October 2024}}