SYDNEY, Australia (JTA) — Australian Jewish lawmaker Michael Danby will receive the Jerusalem Prize for his staunch support of Israel.
Danby, the chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade, will receive the award Monday in Melbourne from the World Zionist Organization and the Zionist Federation of Australia in recognition of his “tireless” defense of Israel in federal parliament since he was elected in 1998.
Zionist Council of Victoria President Sam Tatarka lauded the Labor Party lawmaker’s efforts, specifically his campaign against the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) protests outside Max Brenner chocolate shops across Australia.
“Australia is winning,” Tatarka said. “The boycott’s ideology is the ideology of Hamas, not a two-state solution but the abolition of Israel.”
The Jerusalem Prize is the highest accolade given by the local Zionist movement. Previous recipients include former Prime Ministers John Howard and Bob Hawke, and former Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.
Israel’s ambassador to Australia is expected to be present at the award ceremony, which will be addressed by Danby’s fellow parliamentarian, Mike Kelly, a former colonel who fought in the coalition forces in Iraq.
