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Labor’s Israel shift is a blow to peace and our credibility
The Albanese government has cut Australian foreign policy loose from its historic policy moorings regarding Israel, the Palestinians and the peace process. Our national policy now seems to have been devised primarily to please the Labor Left’s most unhinged virtue-signallers.
Read MoreIll-conceived posturing on Palestine is undermining Australia’s reputation as a trusted peace broker
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says that the Government’s decision was “guided by the principle of advancing the cause of peace and progress towards a just and enduring two-state solution.” If so, its approach is wholly misguided and ahistorical. It completely ignores the recent history of Palestinian intransigence…
Read MoreAustralia’s ongoing near silence on Iran
It took months for Australia to even condemn Iran for its support of Russia’s war in Ukraine, support that has only increased and now includes not only drones and body armour, but artillery shells and millions of rounds of small arms ammunition, as well – a reality Australia alone among our allies seems to be ignoring.
Read MoreAustralia’s Middle East decision ill-conceived
The Federal Government’s decision… is profoundly disappointing and counterproductive. It will severely strain Australia’s long-standing bipartisan national policy of supporting a negotiated two-state peace, even though the Government says it continues to support this outcome.
Read MoreAIJAC “profoundly disappointed” with new Government stance on West Bank, settlements
The most concerning element of the new government policy is the idea that any Jewish presence in any part of the West Bank, where Jews have lived for thousands of years, and in east Jerusalem, where Judaism’s holiest sites are located, is illegal simply because the Jordanians ethnically cleansed the areas of Jews for 19 years. Asserting that the Western Wall and Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest sites, are ‘Palestinian territory’ is highly unacceptable.
Read MoreIsrael and Vietnam – A relationship dating back to Ben-Gurion and Ho Chi Minh
Today, 77 years after Ho’s offer to Ben-Gurion, Vietnam is one of Israel’s strongest allies in Asia. The two countries have just celebrated 30 years of formal diplomatic relations, topping it off by signing a free trade agreement.
Read MoreIs Israel’s democracy in jeopardy? (audio)
In Israel, the Knesset has voted to take away a key power of the country’s Supreme Court, triggering one of the biggest protest movements in Israeli history. It has also raised warnings that the 75-year-old democracy is in jeopardy.
Read MoreIran expands its military presence in South America
Bolivia, which moved back into Iran’s orbit in 2020, reportedly inked a memorandum of understanding on defence and security with Iran following the Bolivian Defence Minister’s visit to the country on July 20 that may result in the delivery of Iranian drones to the country. Iran’s Defence Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani declared the defence agreement with Bolivia “has the potential to serve as a pioneering model for other nations in South America.”
Read MoreEditorial: Cooling the Controversy
Wherever you stand on Israeli politics or the controversial judicial reforms that have been on top of PM Binyamin Netanyahu’s Government’s agenda since January, the way the “reasonableness” element of the reform package was passed into law on July 24 is deeply concerning.
Read MoreIsraeli army moves to centre-stage in judicial reform controversy
Even if a compromise is achieved in the future, the damage inflicted on the IDF by this episode will take a long time to repair. Inner cohesion and the commitment of Israeli soldiers to serve in the army have been crucial components of the IDF success as the “people’s army”. Both are now in question.
Read MoreAIJAC statement on passage of “Reasonableness” bill in Israel, amidst judicial reforms controversy
The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) expressed its profound concern about the passing of the judicial reform’s reasonableness bill in Israel’s Knesset overnight. The bill will prevent Israel’s Supreme Court from overturning administrative decisions by the Government, the Prime Minister or ministers on the basis that they are unreasonable.
Read MoreThree reasons Australia should help protect the International Court of Justice
Australia did the right thing in late December and voted against a very problematic and controversial resolution of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
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