An unsettling vision of military service pervading everyday Israeli life, Samuel Maoz’s (Lebanon) visceral and startlingly unpredictable film centres on a Tel Aviv couple coping with the death of their son, a soldier stationed in the middle of nowhere.

“Maazo’s marvelous, harrowing drama about death and life in Israel marches boldly through the no-man’s-land between realism and surrealism.  It’s prize collection of paradoxes, combining an intimate, eviscerating depiction of parental grief ove ra serviceman’s death with an empathic, absurdist rendering of young Israeli Defence Force soldiers manning a remote and otherworldly roadblock…

Foxtrot carries the excitement and punch of a fearless writer-director tackling contemporary material with a bracing cocktail of potent traditional drama, wild black comedy, and serrated style.  [It all] comes together as a complex plea for honesty, openness, frankness, and forgiveness.  The movie is also, incidentally, a spectacularly effective antiwar film, focusing on the randomness and cruelty of life lived on military roads… Its final image resters like a blow to the chest.  It’s a shot that should be seen around the world.” — Michael Sragow, Film Comment

“[Foxtrot] contains some of themost striking, memorable imagery of the year…  It’s a film designed tomove you with its depiction of senseless tragedy but also to spark that part of your thinking process that only moviemaking can tap… This multitalented filmmaker has taken that darkness and turned it into something unforgettable for everyone who sees it.”  — Brian Tallerico, RobertEbert.com 

Awards:  Grand Jury Price, Venice Film Festival 2017

Hebrew, Arabic and German, with English subtitles; 113 minutes.

An unsettling vision of military service pervading everyday Israeli life, Samuel Maoz’s (Lebanon) visceral and startlingly unpredictable film centres on a Tel Aviv couple coping with the death of their son, a soldier stationed in the middle of nowhere.

“Maazo’s marvelous, harrowing drama about death and life in Israel marches boldly through the no-man’s-land between realism and surrealism.  It’s prize collection of paradoxes, combining an intimate, eviscerating depiction of parental grief ove ra serviceman’s death with an empathic, absurdist rendering of young Israeli Defence Force soldiers manning a remote and otherworldly roadblock…

Foxtrot carries the excitement and punch of a fearless writer-director tackling contemporary material with a bracing cocktail of potent traditional drama, wild black comedy, and serrated style.  [It all] comes together as a complex plea for honesty, openness, frankness, and forgiveness.  The movie is also, incidentally, a spectacularly effective antiwar film, focusing on the randomness and cruelty of life lived on military roads… Its final image resters like a blow to the chest.  It’s a shot that should be seen around the world.” — Michael Sragow, Film Comment

“[Foxtrot] contains some of themost striking, memorable imagery of the year…  It’s a film designed tomove you with its depiction of senseless tragedy but also to spark that part of your thinking process that only moviemaking can tap… This multitalented filmmaker has taken that darkness and turned it into something unforgettable for everyone who sees it.”  — Brian Tallerico, RobertEbert.com 

Awards:  Grand Jury Price, Venice Film Festival 2017

Hebrew, Arabic and German, with English subtitles; 113 minutes.

A young girl is taken to an aid station in Alleppo

The Failure of the

UN and International Law in Syria:

A Classical Realist Perspective

Speaker:   Jeremy Moses

Date:  Monday 13 August 2018

Time: 5pm for 5:30pm

Venue:  South Arts Lecture Theatre A4

CHRISTCHURCH:

“ASK ME ANYTHING” (AMA) SESSION

WITH

RABBI ARIEL TAL

RABBI OF THE WELLINGTON JEWISH COMMUNITY

19 SEPTEMBER 2019

Following the massacres, it’s clear that there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of minorities in our community.  With that lack comes uncertainty, anxiety and even fear.  Unfortunately we humans often respond with prejudice and intolerance.  One of those minorities is the Jewish community and those who adhere to Judaism.

We are honoured to host Rabbi Ariel Tal to join us for an “Ask Me Anything” session where he will take questions from the floor.

Rabbi Ariel Tal is an experienced educator, Rabbi and marketing expert, serving in positions in both North America and Israel. Rabbi Tal has a education degree from Ohalo College in the Golan Heights, Israel, Rabbinical Semicha from Israel Chief Rabbinate, and is a Personal Coach through Da’at U’Tevuna School in Rechovot, Israel. He has taught at the Netivot HaTorah Day School in Toronto, Kibbutz Lavi Primary School and the educational organisation Livnot U’Lehibanot.

With such wide experiences, Ariel is well able to answer questions on Judaism, Jewish life in Israel, the Diaspora and New Zealand.

Ever wondered what Judaism stood for? What it says about the meaning of life? What Judaism says about how the world ends?

A Jewish perspective on the Middle East Conflict and Palestinian Arab relations? What Jews outside of Israel think of the Middle Eastern situation?

What impression New Zealanders have made on Ariel and his family? His thoughts on New Zealand culture and what its like to live in Wellington?

That’s just a few questions you could ask him.

A rare opportunity to publicly quiz a Jewish Rabbi in person.

Where: Sumner Community Centre, 14-16 Wakefield Avenue, Sumner, Christchurch.

When: 7.30pm, Thursday, September 19.

Admission: A plate of finger food. Please avoid pork and seafood products. A collection will be taken to help defray expenses.

A kite with an incendiary device is readied for its launch

Folks

The NZ Institute of International Affairs (NZIIA) has invited us to their event:

Title:  Who lives behind the Gaza blockade, and what can Aotearoa NZ (and we) do?

Speaker:  Marilyn Garson

Date:  Tuesday, Feb 25

Time:  5.30p-6.30p

Venue:  South Arts Lecture Theatre A6, University of Canterbury Campus

Abstract: Marilyn Garson worked for 18 years with excluded communities affected by war.  She has established locally owned social enterprises with Cambodians with disabilities, Afghan women and others.

In 2011, she was invited to move to the Gaza Strip. As the economic director of a large NGO programme, she led an ambitious Gazan team.  In 2013, she became a consultant to the office of UNRWA’s then-Gaza director.  They set about launching the GGateway enterprise to create technology-related jobs behind the Gaza blockade. Marilyn volunteered to stay in Gaza as part of the UN emergency response team that prepared to shelter 35,000 displaced Gazans – but 293,000 people needed shelter through 50 days of bombardment.

Marilyn recently published Still Lives – a memoir of Gaza, chronicling four years of work (2011 – 2015), and the lives being lived behind the Gaza blockade.

As a Jew, Marilyn has skin on both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict. She discusses the conflict, and NZ’s aid policy, in the unifying language of law and human rights.

She asks, who really lives behind the Gaza blockade, and what can we do about it?

Shalom

NZ Friends of Israel Assoc Inc

Box 37 363
Halswell
Christchurch
New Zealand 8245

+64 (27) 433 9745
contact@nzfoi.org
www.nzfoi.org

NATIONS BLESS ISRAEL 

CELEBRATING ISRAEL’S RESTORATION

I will bless those who bless you, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:1-3)

You are invited to join with us and Nations Bless Israel Melbourne to celebrate the restoration of the State of Israel.

THURSDAY 9:45PM (NZST) ON MAY 14TH 2020

This Thursday evening we are invited to join the Aussies in celebrating Israel’s 72^nd birthday.           It will be a special event featuring a range of distinguished speakers from various walks of life in Israel and elsewhere. It starts 9.45pm NZ Time, but can be viewed later on Facebook.

This event is a fundraiser for the Rambam hospital and is in honour of the late Peter Kentley. Peter was a Messianic Jew who lived in Melbourne and led the planning for the Australian San Remo commemorations before he became too unwell. He loved Israel dearly and I have happy memories of our times together over there. Sadly he went to be with the Lord earlier this year following a brain tumour diagnosis.

The Guest Speakers include:

• Yuvat Rotem – Director General of Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (and former Israeli Ambassador to Australia and NZ pre 2010) He now runs the foreign ministry and played a key role in brokering the resumption of our diplomatic relations and the return of Ambassador Gerberg.
• Mark Sofer – Australia’s current Israeli Ambassaor; who was born in London.
• Andrew Tucker – distinguished lawyer and Israel legal advocate (ex C4Israel in the Hague)
• Zac Waller – Ha Yovel the organisation that encourages gentiles to help harvest crops in Israel fulfilling biblical prophecy.
• Rabbi Tuly Weisz – an American rabbi who made Aliyah a few years ago seeking to build knowledge and bridges between those who love Israel and Israel itself via his Israel365 website.

This is a free virtual event hosted on Zoom in tribute to the late Peter Kentley who, in partnership with Rabbi Riesenberg, established the inaugural Melbourne Nations Bless Israel last year.

The event may also be viewed on Facebook  HERE

CHRISTCHURCH FEBRUARY GATHERING: THE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL

2.30pm, Sunday, February 28

Hao Rm, Halswell Centre,
341 Halswell Rd, Christchurch

From 6:30 am Sunday, February 28, Christchurch will be in a Level 2 Lockdown. Under Level 2 rules, attendance will be limited to a maximum of 100.

NZ Friends of Israel invites you to a discussion on the issues arising from renewing the Iran nuclear deal.

• • • • • • What was the original nuclear deal?
          • What was learnt from it?
          • What are the risks to Israel if Iran successfully develops a nuclear weapon?
          • What can be done about it?
          • What can we do about it?

Admission: Bring a plate of finger food, please no pork or seafood products.

Iron Dome SAM missiles on the left, rise up to intercept Hamas’ rockets on the right.

CHRISTCHURCH:  IN THE WAKE OF THE LATEST GAZA-ISRAEL CONFLICT, WHAT’S NEXT? 

20 June 2021, 2.30pm

Halswell Community Centre, 328 Halswell Rd, Christchurch.

GPS coordinates: -43.581902, 172.568741

• Why did the police storm the Temple Mount?
• What is Sheikh Jerrah?
• How was the conflict conducted by both sides?
• What was the reaction in NZ to the conflict?
• Why was there no public rally in support of Israel in Christchurch?

Please bring a plate of finger food.  No seafood or pork based products, thanks. 

There will be a presentation of a petition, urging our government to declare all wings of Hamas to be terrorist organisations.

Note the change of time, as Parliament Staff will only let us use a sound system at certain times this Thursday, so we’ve accordingly adjusted the start time of our event.

Please gather at the new time of 12.30pm at Parliament Grounds.

Please bring your Israel & NZ Flags and any placards in support of Israel!

#nzstandswithisrael