The following article appears in today’s Melbourne Age:
British actor Miriam Margolyes, OBE, is among prominent Jewish people, eminent Australians, leading academics and Green MPs who have signed a petition calling on deputy MP Julia Gillard to call off her planned trip to Israel.
The petition, which has more than 150 signatures, was initiated by Canberra-based academic Ned Curthoys, a research fellow in literature, history and Jewish studies at Australian National University.
Dr Curthoys, who is Jewish, said there had been “a seismic shift in public opinion in Australia about Israel constantly flying in the face of international opinion and breaching United Nations resolutions”.