Greg Barton

President Herzog is welcome to visit. While he’s here, Israel has questions to answer Israeli President Isaac Herzog is entitled to much more than basic respect. Australia is also entitled to hope his visit will result in the intrusion of a small gleam of light upon a dark landscape.

www.theage.com.au/world/middle...

Gaza: study reveals unprecedented losses of life and life expectancy Researchers analyze the human toll of the ongoing conflict using a statistical model that takes data uncertainties into account

"The study also found that the age and gender distribution of violent deaths in #Gaza... closely resembled the demographic patterns observed in several genocides documented by the United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME)."

www.mpg.de/25778228/112...

#Israel

Reasons for Bondi suspects’ Philippines trip remain unclear, but Islamic State is active there Investigators examine IS link after finding flags in car registered to one of the alleged gunmen

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

How 'disaster capitalism' is looking to cash in on Gaza's misery As Donald Trump's plan for Gaza gets UN approval, the proposals for how the territory might be developed are circulating and advocates are worried about who they ultimately benefit.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

‘Good neighbours are essential’: the history behind the landmark Indonesia-Australia defence treaty The relationship between the countries has gone up and down over the years, but trust and confidence has perhaps never been higher.

theconversation.com/good-neighbo...
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@deakinuniversity.bsky.social

Prabowo honors Soeharto, raising fears of authoritarian resurgence

Democracy doesn’t need heroes

Opinion | The Old Order Is Dead. Do Not Resuscitate.

The Old Order Is Dead. Do Not Resuscitate. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/o...

Opinion | In Trump’s America, Are We Losing Our Democracy? Donald Trump has wielded power as no previous president has.

Are We Losing Our Democracy? www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

When it comes to neo-Nazis, we can’t legislate our way to safety Both Germany and the United States show us that laws are not enough to combat the rise of fascism- instead, we need to strengthen our democracy.

“But the real risk in Australia comes not from the shrill voices of fascist extremists prancing in public places. Rather, it comes from a slide into the wholesale demonising of migrants in our public discourse.”
theconversation.com/when-it-come...

“What we are seeing now is another throw of a losing dice. Because this is not going to work. It’s going to be more of the same.

There is no way that any of this is going to lead to any situation whre you could possibly apply the word victory. It’s gratuitous violence for no military point at all.”

Australia Joins Growing Effort to Recognize Palestinian Statehood

“The risk of trying is nothing compared to the danger of letting this moment pass us by,” he said. “The toll of the status quo is growing by the day, and it can be measured in innocent lives.”https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/11/world/australia/australia-palestine-statehood.html?smid=bs-share

The White House is taking new steps to undermine every international student at our universities.

It has approved a new rule restricting student visas to 4 years max. That's not long enough for PhD students, or about half of undergrads, to finish their degree.

Likely to enter force within days.

Foreign interference can be hidden in plain sight. Here’s how countries use ‘sharp power’ in Australia Authoritarian nations are using new tactics, from emotional manipulation to digital surveillance, to sway diaspora attitudes in their favour.

"For a multicultural society such as Australia, the challenge is to respond firmly to authoritarian sharp power attacks without undermining the openness and diversity that are among our greatest democratic strengths." theconversation.com/foreign-inte...

Benjamin Netanyahu is ‘hanging on for political survival’ after his popularity dips Deakin University Global Islamic Politics Professor Greg Barton says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has never been a great “strategian” and is “hanging on for political survival”. “Social polling is pretty clear, he’s way underwater in terms of net popularities,” Mr Barton told Sky News Australia. “The Prime Minister, Bibi Netanyahu, is riding a tiger; he’s scared of dismounting the tiger for fear of being eaten by the tiger. “Israel has focused on tactical operations and not thought strategically about where it wants to go. “In the absence of his own strategy, he gets pushed in the direction of those who are using leverage over him, and that’s producing very tragic results for everyone at the moment.”

www.skynews.com.au/world-news/g...

Trump Nominates ‘Alpha Male’ Influencer to Be Ambassador to Malaysia

Trump Nominates ‘Alpha Male’ Influencer to Be Ambassador to Malaysia www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/u...

sign says: could someone explain which crimes get you deported and which ones get you elected president. it's so confusing.

Bravo this sign.

Netanyahu's agenda is clear, but Trump wants plausible deniability There are many things happening in the Middle East at the moment but beneath them lies one single through-line: Israel is attempting to reshape the political map of the region.

“Ami Ayalon, who ran Shin Bet, Israel's security service. In Israel last year he told me for Four Corners:

"You cannot deter a person or group of people if they believe that they have nothing to lose. We, Israelis, we shall have security only when they will have hope”
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06...

For decades, Sec. Kennedy has spread lies about vaccines. Now, his misinformation will lead to preventable illness & death.

Firing independent experts is a dangerous move that makes it harder for Americans to access vaccines that are safe, effective & essential to saving lives.

““It’s hard to think of many people in the media who are universally adored. Shakes was one of the rare few. There was just not one bad thing you could say about him. He was kind, he was funny, he exuded empathy and warmth, he was collaborative, wildly talented and hugely generous.”

After Several Attacks, Heightened Anxiety Among American Jews

The attack on Colorado demonstrators calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza has heightened fears among many U.S. Jews that simply existing in public is becoming more dangerous.

Days Before a Marriage Proposal, They Were Killed in D.C.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/w...

Australia-Indonesia relations: From Keating’s bold vision to Albanese’s careful pragmatism Prime ministerial language on Indonesia over three decades shows some welcome signs of stability and some warning signs of stasis.

www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...

Reform era draws to a close ““One by one, the key mandates and institutions of reform have been dismantled, from anticorruption to civilian control over the military, everything the Reform era stood for has been undone,” said Wijayanto of the Inst for Econ&Social Research, Education& Info (LP3ES).”

YouTube video by Sky News Australia Australia faces the 'danger' of becoming 'less important' to Indonesia

youtube.com/watch?v=OZnI...
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@deakinuniversity.bsky.social
Australia is in danger of missing out on the rise of Indonesia

From tragedy to triumph: Ali France and the ‘remarkable women’ who delivered a slew of Labor wins in Queensland Seven female Labor candidates, ‘enough for an entire netball team’, have won seats in the sunshine state, with Anika Wells praising the party for ‘empowering women’

Seven female Labor candidates, ‘enough for an entire netball team’, have won seats in Queensland, with re-elected MP Anika Wells praising the party for ‘empowering women’

Just after the 2022 election I said (I think it was on Insiders) if the Liberal party didn’t read the room on climate, women etc - then it was consigning itself to irrelevancy. I was pretty roundly criticised at the time. But I do know what I’m talking about and I can pick a vibe

Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim:

“Australia plays a pivotal role in the Asia Pacific. The Albanese government’s attention to Southeast Asia during its first term did not go unnoticed, and we hope that spirit of engagement will continue.”

Elon Musk’s Grok AI Has a Problem: It’s Too Accurate for Conservatives MAGA folks can't believe their preferred chatbot won't reaffirm all their beliefs.

Musk built Grok to flatter MAGA, but now they're furious it won't lie to them on command. Watching them argue with a chatbot for refusing to parrot nonsense is like seeing toddlers yell at a toaster for not making chicken nuggets.