Courtesy of WikiLeaks - http://www.wikileaksparty.org.au/star-chamber-government-scuttles-transp... By Gerry Georgatos - Without informing, let alone consulting, the House of Representatives the inner circle of Prime Minister Tony Abbott has shifted what little support the previous Government, especially under Kevin Rudd, had for Palestine – to Israel. Though many do not realise, a major part of the dumping of Prime Minister Rudd had to do with private dissatisfaction for his support of UNESCO cultural rights to Palestine. And for his perceived tough stance on Israel over the expulsion of an Israeli diplomat over the misuse of Australian identities and passports by an Israeli Government sanction assassination squad in 2010 in Dubai.
When then Prime Minister Rudd ordered the expulsion of an Israeli diplomat from Australia over the Dubai passports affair, Mr Abbott condemned the expulsion. “It was an overreaction,” said Mr Abbott.
Former editor of the Australia-Israel review, published by the Australia-Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, and former Assistant Secretary to Hawke Minister Barry Cohen, ALP powerbroker, backbencher Michael Danby was livid with Prime Minister Rudd. Soon, Mr Danby became known to Australia as one of the ‘faceless men’ who shafted Prime Minister Rudd for Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Government insiders and a few other high-level in-the-know sources confided to The Stringer that Prime Minister Rudd’s days were numbered. There was no prospect he would survive, even though on June 7 to 9, 2010 a couple of his high profile colleagues worked feverishly behind-the-scenes to keep him in the job. Prime Minister Rudd had made his enemies but was also stranded by those around him who saw personal opportunity. Of course, all this will be rejected.
Prime Minister Abbott and Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop have given their support for the expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories,something most of the world’s nations are in fact not supporting. Minister Bishop’s representatives to the United Nation have without any known parliamentary and public consultation informed the United Nations of their withdrawal of Australian support for an order to Israel to cease settlement building in occupied territories.
158 countries supported the United Nations in calling for an end to the Israeli breaches in the occupied territories – in calling for them to stop the spread of Israeli settlements.
Australia has entered ignominy by siding with 8 other countries in abstaining from voting for the order. Prime Minister Rudd had pushed for ways forward in the troubled Israeli/Palestinian conflict – the hope of a two state solution, and recognition for the cultural integrity of Palestine. Prime Minister Rudd’s semblance of support for Palestine was a cardinal sin, that is in Australian politics, and as a consequence his demise as Prime Minister in 2010 was assured. In November 2009 he had supported piecemeal UNESCO cultural rights for Palestine but the double whammy in May 2010 of expelling an Israeli diplomat was too much for Zionists and their supporters and for some Jewry to stomach. In less than a month he was toppled as Prime Minister. Prime Minister Rudd’s expulsion of an Israeli diplomat would become even more impossible for him to manage and hence survive than for instance for Prime Minister Gough Whitlam with his public opposition to American military bases on Australian soil – such as Pine Gap.
It is discriminatory to refer to the capture of issues in Palestine/Israel as if exclusive between Jewry and Palestinians, when indeed many Jewish people support a two-State solution and who work where able with Palestinians. It is racism to attack Jewry over the state of affairs in the region, but it is fair to comment that the intransigence of any divide is between Zionists and Palestinians. In less than seven decades since Al Nakba (1948), Palestine has been reduced to less than 8 per cent of its former sovereign land mass.
Prime Minister Abbott and Minister Bishop, going rogue, are reported to have indicated that Israel should no longer be required to comply with the 1949 Geneva Conventions. Prime Minister Abbott has long been a vocal supporter of Israel and has described their predicament in the region as a fight for survival, that they face “dangers” no other nation faces.
The USA, Canada and Israel were one of only five nations to vote against Israel having to comply with the 1949 conventions, Australia was one of five nations to abstain from voting.
The Abbott-led Government has spiralled into the disquiet of the seeming near clandestine – not even just some kitchen cabinet batch of decisions but into a seemingly unaccountable starchamber; making decisions without consultation and explanation, and without parliamentary scrutiny – and refusing news conferences and bona fide public dissemination. The extent of the silences have never-before-been-seen on the Australian political landscape.
The Australia-Israel and Jewish Affairs Council welcomed Prime Minister Abbott’s shift at the United Nations.
Deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party, Tanya Plibersek said, “It is quite extraordinary that the government would make such a large change without reporting back to Australians.”
In early 2010 a Hamas leader, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was assassinated in Dubai by Mossad agents. The agents used Australian, British, Irish and French passports. Prime Minister Rudd’s expulsion of an Israeli diplomat gave rise to tensions – with Israeli ambassador Yuval Rotem having to send back to Israel a strong rebuke from the then Australian Prime Minister. The Australian Government had sent an Australian Federal Police delegation to Israel to investigate the misuse of Australian passports.
The Israeli diplomat expelled was in fact the Mossad chief in Canberra. In 2006, under Prime Minister John Howard’s Government, Australia agreed to the stationing of the Mossad officer in Australia. In return Australia was allowed to station an ASIO officer in the Australian Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Prime Minister Rudd’s 2010 stance was the end of his then Prime Ministership, the end of his run as one of the most popular Prime Ministers – for more than two years – and the end of what had been the very popular ALP led Government from late 2007 to early 2010.
Despite Mr Danby and others being dissatisfied with Prime Minister Rudd over his expulsion of the Israeli diplomat alias Mossad chief, Mr Danby has been known to support a two-state solution to the Palestinian question. But he has been critical of Jewry who chase down guilt on Israel, such as Sydney Jewish journalist Antony Loewenstein who believes that the Israeli Government is bent on scuttling any hopes of Palestinian sovereignty and therefore regional peace.
Earlier this year, NSW Parliament heard from Labor MLC, Shaoquett Moselmane who slammed Gaza as “the world’s largest open-air prison camps.” Mr Moselmane denounced the Israeli occupations. Despite being pulled up by his own Labor colleagues Mr Moselmane described Israel’s impact on Palestinians as “a corruption of justice.”
“Ever since 1948, the Israeli Zionist plan has been to acquire land to expand the borders of the Jewish Zionist State,” said a fiery Mr Moselmane in never-before-heard-language in an Australian parliament.
“Palestinians have been denied the right to a homeland.”
“If there was ever a group in need of protection from war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, it is the Palestinians,” said Mr Moselmane.
