In front of 2000 of the leading lights of the Jewish community and among the most committed Zionists in Australia, the excitement and raw emotion of the event was palpable on Wednesday night.
A beaming and triumphal Malcolm Turnbull took the stage and along with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just about blew the roof off Sydney’s Central Synagogue.
Finally, 70 years after the creation of the Jewish nation, an Israeli head of the state was in Australia – an unimaginable event when the first Jews came to Australia in 1788.
When Mr Turnbull and Mr Netanyahu entered the arena, a standing ovation broke out that lasted over a minute as the leaders waved and gave a thumbs up.
People in the upper levels of the elliptically shaped synagogue were calling out and leaning over, desperate to get photos on their iPhones.
As with other events during the day, it was a who’s who of Australian Jewry and its supporters. Rag trader Solomon Lew strolled in; also present were billionaire property developer John Gandel, NAB director Jillian Segal, Jeanne Pratt, Judy Lowy and Stanley Roth.
Former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott and various Jewish MPs, ministers and shadow ministers: most notably Energy and Environment MInister Josh Frydenberg, newby Liberal MP Julian Leeser and Labor’s Michael Dandy and Mark Dreyfus in Bill Shorten’s stead. The Opposition Leader was conspicuously absent.
Read the full article by Luke Malpass at the Australian Financial Review.