AUSTRALIA/ISRAEL REVIEW VOLUME 46 No. 3 MARCH 2021 AUSTRALIA/ISRAEL & JEWISH AFFAIRS COUNCIL AN ELECTION LIKE NO OTHER The unprecedented politics of Israel’s March 23 pandemic-era poll CONSPIRACIES FOR KIDS A GAME OF JAKARTA’S HISTORY OR HIS NUCLEAR CHICKEN JIHADISM PROBLEM STORY? An exclusive exposé of children’s books Iran sets itself on a Islamist extremism Former US Presi- that promote hate and extremism PAGE 21 collision course with following the dent Obama’s the Biden Adminis- release of Abu Bakar misleading Mideast tration ..........PAGE 24 Bashir ..........PAGE 28 claims ........... PAGE 31 NAME OF SECTION WITH COMPLIMENTS AND BEST WISHES FROM GANDEL GROUP CHADSTONE SHOPPING CENTRE 1341 DANDENONG ROAD CHADSTONE VIC 3148 TEL: (03) 8564 1222 FAX: (03) 8564 1333 With Compliments from P O BOX 400 SOUTH MELBOURNE, 3205, AUSTRALIA TELEPHONE: (03) 9695 8700 2 AIR – March 2021 AUSTRALIA/ISRAEL VOLUME 46 No. 3 REVIEW MARCH 2021 EDITOR’S NOTE NAME OF SECTION he March edition of the AIR focusses on analysing Israel’s unusually complex ON THE COVER Telection campaign in the lead up to the fourth national vote in two years on A worker from the Central Election March 23. Commission in Israel wearing a full Amotz Asa El explains why this election is looking very challenging for long- protective suit during a media demon- serving incumbent PM Binyamin Netanyahu, while Times of Israel Editor David stration of special polling stations for Horovitz explores how traditional left/right blocs in Israeli politics have been people infected with coronavirus as reconfigured into pro-Netanyahu and anti-Netanyahu groupings. part of preparations for the upcoming In addition, Ahron Shapiro breaks down the campaign messaging of all of Is- rael’s significant political parties, while Sean Savage speaks to experts about the Israeli general elections, in Shoham, implications of Palestinian plans to hold their own elections in a few months. Israel, Feb. 23 2021. (Credit: Abir Sultan/EPA/AAP) Also featured this month are American academic Charles Lipson’s look at how Israel came to be the world leader in coronavirus vaccinations, and Australian academic Ran Porat’s compelling and frighten- ing exposé of extremist conspiracy books aimed at children aged five to 12. Finally, don’t miss: terrorism expert Zachary Abuza on the Islamist threat to Indonesia in the wake of the release of Bali bombing spiritual leader Abu Bakar Bashir; and Allon Lee’s deep dive into former US President Barack Obama’s re-writing of Middle East history in his memoirs. As always, we invite your feedback at [email protected]. Tzvi Fleischer CONTENTS FEATURE STORIES REGULAR COLUMNS AN ELECTION FROM THE EDITORIAL CHAIRMAN LIKE NO OTHER COLIN RUBENSTEIN ....................................................................... PAGE 4 ................................................. PAGE 5 BY AMOTZ ASA-EL WORD FOR WORD Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu SCRIBBLINGS faces the verdict of the voters – TZVI FLEISCHER ............................................................................ PAGE 6 again... Even though he and his party, the Likud, are lead- DECONSTRUCTION ZONE ing handsomely in all polls... Israel’s fourth election in less FRIENDS OF ISRAEL INITIATIVE .................................................... PAGE 7 than two years looks markedly different from the previous ...............................................................................PAGE 12 ASIA WATCH three. MICHAEL SHANNON ...................................................................... PAGE 8 ISRAEL’S LEAST IDEOLOGICAL VOTE BY DAVID HOROVITZ .................................................................... PAGE 14 AIR NEW ZEALAND MIRIAM BELL ................................................................................ PAGE 9 CAMPAIGNING AMID CAMPAIGNING FATIGUE BY AHRON SHAPIRO .................................................................... PAGE 15 BEHIND THE NEWS .............................................. PAGE 10 PALESTINIANS ALSO HEADING TO THE POLLS STRANGER THAN FICTION ........................ PAGE 11 BY SEAN SAVAGE ......................................................................... PAGE 18 NOTED AND QUOTED ..................................... PAGE 35 CONSPIRACY THEORIES FOR KIDS Books promote hate and antisemitism IN PARLIAMENT ...................................................... PAGE 36 BY RAN PORAT ............................................................................. PAGE 21 MEDIA MICROSCOPE WHY ISRAEL LEADS IN VACCINATION ALLON LEE ................................................................................... PAGE 39 BY CHARLES LIPSON .................................................................... PAGE 23 THE LAST WORD IRAN’S NUCLEAR GAME OF CHICKEN JEREMY JONES ........................................................................... PAGE 40 BY LAZAR BERMAN ..................................................................... PAGE 24 ISRAEL, BIDEN AND THE JCPOA HOW TO USE OUR INTERACTIVE EDITION BY MICHAEL HERZOG .................................................................. PAGE 26 ABU BAKAR BASHIR A FREE MAN • Tap/click to return to the Contents page BY ZACHARY ABUZA .................................................................... PAGE 28 • All listed articles link to their page. BIBLIO FILE:HIS STORY, NOT HISTORY • Best viewed in your desktop browser or the Books (iOS) or Barack Obama’s account of the Middle East equivalent e-book reader app in portrait mode. 3 BY ALLON LEE .............................................................................. PAGE 31 AIR – March 2021 Australia/Israel Review Published by the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) Editorial Chairman Dr COLIN RUBENSTEIN AM EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Dr TZVI FLEISCHER Senior Contributing Editor POLITICAL STABILITY AT JEREMY JONES AM Staff Writers ALLON LEE, JAMIE HYAMS, AHRON SHAPIRO, SHARYN MITTELMAN, NAOMI LAST? LEVIN, OVED LOBEL, JUDY MAYNARD Publishing Manager hile it would be easy to view Israel’s fourth election in two years as a sign of MICHAEL SHANNON Correspondents Wchronic political dysfunction, there are reasons to be optimistic that a stable gov- ISRAEL: AMOTZ ASA-EL EUROPE: DOUGLAS DAVIS ernment is not far away. Perhaps Israel is finally on the road to recovery from its politi- NEW ZEALAND: MIRIAM BELL cal crisis, as it is with respect to the COVID crisis that has gripped the country for the National Editorial Board KEITH BEVILLE, RABBI RALPH past year. GENENDE OAM, GARY HERZ, MIRIAM LASKY, STEVE LIEBLICH, RABBI JOHN For one, rather than a replay of the previous rounds of elections, the March 23 contest LEVI AC, Hon. HOWARD NATHAN AM, has introduced new players, like Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope party, and added more prime IAN WALLER SC ministerial contenders to the field, such as Yesh Atid’s Yair Lapid and Yamina’s Naftali Bennett. AIJAC Current PM Binyamin Netanyahu will once again face judgement at the ballot box, National Chairman even as his trial on corruption charges hovers over him. Though indisputably the leader of MARK LEIBLER AC Israel’s largest party, he still needs to find enough willing partners to govern, something NSW Chairman PAUL RUBENSTEIN that has become increasingly difficult with every passing election. Executive Director Dr COLIN RUBENSTEIN AM Yet he has shown extraordinary political skill in the past – a viable Netanyahu-led Director of International & coalition of the centre-right with a Knesset majority remains very much a possibility. Community Affairs JEREMY JONES AM Despite widespread criticism of his handling of aspects of the coronavirus pandemic Policy and Research Coordinator crisis last year, Netanyahu will make a case for re-election based on his strong diplomatic Dr TZVI FLEISCHER Associate Director of Public Affairs achievements internationally, a solid economic record, cautious yet attentive management & Operations JOEL BURNIE of Israel’s vital security challenges and his personal orchestration of Israel’s world-leading Senior Policy Analysts vaccination campaign. AHRON SHAPIRO, JAMIE HYAMS, ALLON LEE, NAOMI LEVIN, SHARYN On the other hand, his opponents – some of them long-time former colleagues includ- MITTELMAN ing Sa’ar, Bennett and former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman – will doubtless go Policy Analysts OVED LOBEL, JUDY MAYNARD beyond criticising his handling of the pandemic. They will also be attempting to tap into National Media & Public Affairs Officer a growing sense among many Israelis that, after more than 11 continuous years in power, ARIEL ZOHAR and amid a corruption trial which increasingly preoccupies his focus and attention, it is Multimedia Designer AREK DYBEL time for Netanyahu to retire in favour of new blood – someone with different policies, Events Coordinator HELEN BRUSTMAN OAM messages and/or style of governance. Administration One encouraging sign at this election is indications that Israel’s Arab citizens are engag- MELBOURNE: ROSEMARY SANDLER, RENA LANGBERG ing with the country’s legislature in a more politically diverse way than in the past. SYDNEY: LOUISE DE MESQUITA The Arab party Ra’am has reversed the traditional reluctance of Israeli Arab parties to Israel Liaison PETER ADLER support a Zionist-led coalition and has been expressing a willingness to consider support- Founding Chairmen ISADOR MAGID AM (OBM) ing the next Israeli government in exchange for new and expanded programs to meet the ROBERT ZABLUD (OBM) pressing needs of Israeli Arab communities. HEAD OFFICE Indeed,