<div>Australia and the State of Israel have maintained a cordial if at times ambiguous relationship. The two countries are geographically isolated: strategic, economic, and cultural interests lie increasingly with Asia for one, and with the United States and the European Union for the other. But for all that divides the two states, there is also much they share. Australia played an important role in the Jewish state’s establishment in 1948, and is home to the most Zionist-centered Jewish diaspora globally. Jewishness for most Australian Jews has been shaped and defined by engagement with and support for Israel. At the heart of this engagement is a small but thriving Israeli community within the larger multicultural Australia.<i>Australia and Israel: A Diasporic, Cultural and Political Relationship</i> draws attention to the important historical and contemporary nexus between this diaspora and its imagined homeland. The collection also considers the ways in which these two states mobilize national myths and share environmental challenges. It illuminates the multifaceted and complex picture of two very different nations that nevertheless share an abiding connection.</div>