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[Excerpts:]

"A SYDNEY synagogue has cancelled a March 23 appearance by an Israeli academic who described the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as “a countdown to apartheid”. American-born Professor Jeff Halper, who condemned Israel as a country of “nefarious ideologies”, is coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against Housing Demolitions (ICAHD). The organisation was set up 12 years ago to oppose the practice of house demolitions." "Jews against the Occupation spokesperson Vivienne Porzsolt said the synagogue’s reversal was due to “the noxious culture of silence, fear and suppression that dominates the organised Jewish community in relation to Israel” and said the organisation would set up an alternative meeting between Prof Halper and the Jewish community. She also slammed a decision by The AJN not to publish an advertisement listing Prof Halper’s speaking engagements. The newspaper’s management said it acted within its legal right to refuse to publish the advertisment. Prof Halper is on an Australian speaking tour. During his Sydney and Melbourne visits, he will speak at several universities, the title of one of his lectures is “Countdown to Apartheid in Israel/Palestine”. Supporting his visit are Jews Against the Occupation, Independent Australian Jewish Voices, Australians for Palestine, and the Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine."