Alexander Ryvchin (born 18 July 1983) is an Australian author, advocate, media commentator, and lawyer. He is a frequent guest on US, Israeli and Australia media.
Life and career
editHe was born in Kiev, Ukraine, and migrated to Australia as a refugee.[1] He attended Sydney Boys High School.[2] He practised law at Mallesons Stephen Jaques in Sydney and Herbert Smith in London before serving as a spokesman for the Zionist Federation UK and being awarded an Israel Research Fellowship.[3] His writing on the Arab–Israeli conflict and Jewish history has been published in numerous international newspapers, including The Australian,[4] The Sydney Morning Herald,[5] The Guardian,[6] the National Post,[7] and The Jerusalem Post.[8] Ryvchin is a regular columnist for The Spectator.[9]
In May 2013, Ryvchin was appointed Director of Public Affairs at the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and was promoted to co-chief executive officer in 2018, becoming one of the youngest professional leaders in the Jewish world.[10]
In November 2023, he cut ties with Australian Jewish Association and said the group "has no representative status and in no way speaks for or reflects the views of Australian Jews".[11]
He is one of Co-Chief Executive Officer of Executive Council of Australian Jewry.[12]
Books
editRyvchin is the author of two books on Israel. His debut book, The Anti-Israel Agenda – Inside the Political War on the Jewish State (Gefen Publishing House, 2017), is a collaborative work with other prominent thinkers on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict including Alan Dershowitz, Colonel Richard Kemp, Hillel Neuer and Professor Alan Johnson.[13] It was lauded by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as "the most important book on Israel since Alan Dershowitz's The Case for Israel".[14]
In 2019, Ryvchin published his second book, Zionism – The Concise History.[15]
He published the book The 7 Deadly Myths: Antisemitism from the Time of Christ to Kanye West in 2023.[16]
Views
editRyvchin is an outspoken critic of the anti-Israel movement referring to its activists as "self-righteous westerners" with "pretensions to heroism" who seek "redemption" by "slaying the Zionist beast".[17]
He has been a staunch critic of Palestinian terrorism, corruption and rejection of a negotiated end to the conflict with Israel.[18]
He has spoken publicly of his love for Australia and his support for multiculturalism and integration which Ryvchin argues requires that "we accept the duty to uphold the freedoms granted to us and to protect the values underpinning our society – values such as democracy, tolerance, mutual respect."[19]
In June 2024 he called on Senator Fatima Payman to resign after Payman accused Israel of genocide during Israel-Hams war and used phrase "From the river to the sea Palestine will be free".[20] He also said Payman and Australian Greens "must be held accountable" and accused them of bringing antisemitism into the mainstream and have legitimized violent protests [21] and "deceitful rhetoric on genocide" and endangering Jewish community.[22]
Personal life
editHe currently resides in Sydney with his wife and daughters.
References
edit- ^ Dengate, Cayla (9 September 2015). "Syrian Refugees Spur Australian Migrants to Appeal for Compassion". HuffPost.
- ^ Rolfe, John (16 August 2024). "Sydney Power 100: Where the city's most powerful people went to school". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ "Alex Ryvchin". Alex Ryvchin.
- ^ Ryvchin, Alexander (17 December 2014). "Greens ignore Israel's rights". The Australian. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
- ^ Ryvchin, Alexander (24 January 2014). "Attacks on Bishop unwarranted". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
- ^ Ryvchin, Alexander (28 November 2013). "Australia is right to challenge the UN's anti-Israel bias". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
- ^ Alexander, Ryvchin (24 October 2012). "Ignoring the real bloodshed in Syria by focusing on Syria". National Post. Archived from the original on 10 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
- ^ Ryvchin, Alexander (17 October 2011). "The right decision, 1027 times over". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
- ^ "Reference at www.spectator.co.uk".[dead link]
- ^ "Alex Ryvchin".
- ^ Knott, Matthew (27 May 2024). "Sharma hosted far-right Israel group disavowed by other Jewish associations". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "Executive - ECAJ". ECAJ - Executive Council of Australian Jewry. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ "Ryvchin – The Anti-Israel Agenda". anti-israelagenda.com.
- ^ "About". anti-israelagenda.com.
- ^ Ryvchin, Alex (2019). Zionism – The Concise History. Connor Court. ISBN 9781925826586.
- ^ Ryvchin, Alex (2023). The 7 Deadly Myths: Antisemitism from the Time of Christ to Kanye West. Academic Studies Press. ISBN 9798887193328.
- ^ "Reference at www.spectator.co.uk".[dead link]
- ^ "Terror comes again to Israel". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney.[full citation needed](subscription required)
- ^ "Australian Citizenship Ceremony Speech". Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ). 2 November 2015.
- ^ Sky News Australia (17 May 2024). Alex Ryvchin calls on Senator Payman to 'resign' over use of pro-Palestine chant. Retrieved 1 July 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Canales, Sarah Basford; Hurst, Daniel (25 June 2024). "Labor senator Fatima Payman says each step 'felt like a mile' after crossing floor to back Palestine motion". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ Massola, James (18 June 2024). "Labor senator Payman breaks ranks again on Palestine". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 July 2024.