Amos Oz, the acclaimed author and moral voice of Israel, has written an incredible essay in this week's Australian Jewish News about the importance of standing up for human rights, justice and equality.

Come to the launch of 'Kingdom of Olives and Ash' with Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks, Israeli prize-winning novelist Assaf Gavron and Breaking the Silence executive director Avner Gvaryahu in Sydney (6 June) and Melbourne (7 June).

We're very excited to share two upcoming events: our launch of “Kingdom of Olives and Ash” in Sydney and Melbourne.

Today, we often see the state of Israel and the greater Middle East through the lens of photographs. Whether they are cherished mementos or flashes on social media feeds, the pictures capture the concerns that divide us, and the events that bring us together. Some of these moments depict horror, sadness and a plea for a more just and moral society. Others fill us with hope and validation that we are heading towards a bright future.

The Anne Frank Fonds Basel and New Israel Fund (NIF) have signed a partnership agreement which will come into effect in the coming year. As part of the new partnership, the Anne Frank Foundation will make new grants to organisations supported by NIF to advance their work toward equality and justice.

What a difference a day makes. Even by Tuesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu was backtracking from his deal with the UNHCR to settle people seeking asylum in Israel and the West.

Overnight, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced a deal with the UNHCR that would see people seeking asylum in Israel be re-settled in Israel or the West, rather than deported to Africa.

The story of Pesach – and the lessons and values we draw from the story of Exodus – is at the heart of the values that connect many of us to NIF.

The following op-ed was written by NIF Australia Vice-President Steven Glass and published in the Australian Jewish News on Wednesday 14 February 2018.

Thanks to almost 50 donors in Australia and New Zealand, we made $10,000 grants to two Israeli non-profits working with refugees last week.

The sustained Israeli government pressure on refugees has taken a new turn: asylum seekers are now being forcibly deported to Rwanda.