The Australian welfare lobby group the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) has played a central role in the welfare politics debate as the foremost defender of the Australian welfare state. ACOSS is widely recognized as one of the most important lobby groups in Australia, and enjoys regular access to the media and key policy makers in government and the bureaucracy."

This text considers the roles played by the key political parties, lobby groups and ideologies in determining Australia's welfare-related outcomes. It looks at the influence of economic rationalism and social democracy, and the values and assumptions that underpin social welfare policies.

The historical involvement of Jews in the political Left is well known, but far less attention has been paid to the political and ideological factors which attracted Jews to the Left. After the Holocaust and the creation of Israel many lost their faith in universalistic solutions, yet lingering links between Jews and the Left continue to exist.

The BDS movement (boycott, divestment, sanctions) against Israel has gained traction and publicity worldwide for a decade. Yet here, Philip Mendes and Nick Dyrenfurth two politically progressive commentators argue that BDS is far too blunt an instrument to use in a such a complex political situation. Instead, they critically analyze the key arguments for and against BDS, and propose a solution that supports Israel s existence and Palestinian rights to a homeland, urging mutual compromise and concessions from both sides."

This book challenges and revises existing ways of thinking about leaving care policy, practice and research at regional, national and international levels.