Kevin Rudd will not be the bitch of Israel (1 Viewer)

[Nebuchanezzar]

AUSTRALIA has switched its position to vote against Israel on two resolutions at the United Nations, ending the Howard government's unswerving alignment with the United States and raising concern from the Jewish community.

The move also signals to the incoming Obama administration that the Rudd Government plans to take a different approach to the Howard government on the international stage.

In the weekend vote in New York, Australia supported a resolution calling on Israel to stop establishing settlements in the Palestinian territories and a resolution calling for the Geneva Conventions to apply in the Palestinian territories.

The resolutions on the Middle East peace process are held annually and the Howard government had backed both from 1996 to 2002 but in 2003 began to vote against or abstain. It was a move that aligned Australia with only the US, Israel, the US Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau and Micronesia and put the country at odds with Britain, Canada, New Zealand and France.

Australian officials told the UN the Government had changed its position because it supported a two-state resolution of the conflict to deliver a secure Israel living beside a viable Palestinian state and that Australia believed both sides should abide by their obligations under the Road Map for Peace.

Australia said it was concerned activity in the disputed settlements undermined confidence in the negotiations. It was among 161 countries that supported both resolutions, with two abstaining and six against.

The president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Robert Goot, last night was concerned over the Government's switch. "We are concerned that the vote has changed, we do not understand the basis for the change," he said.

The Foreign Affairs Minister, Stephen Smith, last night said there had been no change to Australia's policy on the Middle East. He said he had met the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, and the Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, in Jerusalem two weeks ago and told them Australia was a strong supporter of Israel and the Middle East peace process.

"Australia's friendship with Israel is longstanding and enduring and we understand completely Israel's legitimate security concerns," he said.

"As a staunch and longstanding friend of Israel, we want its people to be able to enjoy the fruits of a normal, peaceful existence, within a Middle East that recognises Israel's right to live within secure and internationally recognised boundaries. That is an approach that has strong bipartisan support in Australia and it's an approach that will continue."

The Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman, Helen Coonan, called on Mr Smith to explain why Australia changed its vote. "The change in emphasis is concerning unless it can be better explained as giving effect to a bipartisan and balanced approach," she said.

Australia maintained its vote on seven other UN resolutions relating to Israel, in particular opposing a resolution criticising Israel on Palestinian human rights. Australia said it believed the resolution was too one-sided against Israel and failed to take account of Israel's legitimate security concerns or reflect the responsibility of Palestinians to end attacks against Israel. Australia was one of eight countries, including Canada, to vote against this resolution that was supported by 87 countries with 70 abstaining.

Last month Australia announced new sanctions on Israel's rival Iran but backed down on a pledge to force the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, before an international court on charges of inciting genocide.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/rudd-breaks-with-howard-on-israel/2008/11/09/1226165386581.html



Last part about freedom fighter Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is kind of startling though. Genocide? lol. :rofl:

 

[jb_nc]

I don't remember joining that pro-Israel group

 

[Trefoil]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/rudd-breaks-with-howard-on-israel/2008/11/09/1226165386581.html



Last part about freedom fighter Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is kind of startling though. Genocide? lol. :rofl:

Freedom Fighter? That's your codeword for terrorist, right?

This is a guy who orders the execution of Iranian homosexuals.

 

[jb_nc]

This is a guy who orders the execution of Iranian homosexuals.

Well, they are disgusting.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

Look comrades this is not a thread about Iranian homosexuals, it is a thread about Australias refusal to stick up for Israel.

And speaking of genocide: ISRAEL

 

[Scissors]

Israel is scum.

 

[zstar]

Australia doesn't have an AIPAC like American does.

 

[jb_nc]

Israel is the nation that will go down in history as paving the path for democracy in the middle east. I love Israel.

Don't they not give Arabs the right to vote?

Cause in like 2030, current iff current demographic growth stays steady, Israel will be an Arab, rather than Jewish, state.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

Are pro-Israeli people like, retarded or something? Do Jewish people inbreed, cuz...

"We are concerned that the vote has changed, we do not understand the basis for the change."

I mean, the basis for the change seems pretty clear to me. Mebbe the council of Jewishness needs to head back to Bellevue Hill and have a good long hard think about it.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

I don't remember joining that pro-Israel group

The anti-Israel group is 100% authentic babeh

 

[Scissors]

The anti-Israel group is 100% authentic babeh

you motherfuckers should join us. it's pretty cool being a member of the AIL.


all hail the ail!

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

 

[CardCheat]

israel is the best

 

[Will Shakespear]

+1 reason to vote Labor out >=[

put me down for the Pro-Israel Group

 

[Trefoil]

Look comrades this is not a thread about Iranian homosexuals, it is a thread about Australias refusal to stick up for Israel.

Then why did you use it to praise the murderous psychopath running Iran?

When you criticise Iran as much as you do Israel, you might actually have some credibility.

But nutters like you will never be taken seriously as long as you think the conflict in the Middle East is black and white. Peace requires co-operation, not partisan inflammation.

 

[sam04u]

+1 reason to vote Labor out >=[

There is nothing anti-Israel about expecting Israel (which is an ally of Australia) to follow international law. Even though we support Israel, Australia can not sign a blank cheque to Israel in allowing it to disregard international law and then supporting that. As we've seen - the settlements are largely unpopular even in Israel. The Jewish settlers in occupied Palestinian lands have even turned against the Israeli armed forces and the local arab populations.

Basically the way to peace is a two-state settlement based on the 1948 partition plan.

 

[Will Shakespear]

Israel should be granted some liberties when it comes to international law due to being surrounded by terrorist states like Syria, Lebanon or Egypt that are constantly trying to drive it into the ocean

 

[Lentern]

Nah the Arabs do have the right to vote and always get like 20% plus of the vote into some Arab party that won't form govt with anyone. INFORMATION COURTESY OF JDSIMON TRUTH STORY NETWORK

Yes you're right there, but they also deny the Palestinian people right of retrurn whilst allowing infinite numbers of jews to migrate to Israel to ensure that they get either a Kadima or Labor government. Sounds very democratic to me.

 

[sam04u]

Israel should be granted some liberties when it comes to international law due to being surrounded by terrorist states like Syria, Lebanon or Egypt that are constantly trying to drive it into the ocean

The international law we have in place exists to protect nations and peoples. When you argue that Israel should violate international law to achieve it's safety, you are in turn saying international law works contrary to it's goals. The goals of international law is the safety and security of peoples and nations.

The way for Israel to secure it's safety is to free occupied lands over to the Palestinian authority, and allow for Palestine to fully govern it's lands and people. After which, Israel should work towards a joint recognition of both states, and forge a strong diplomatic link with it's closest and oldest neighbours. It should at that point follow international law in terms of refugees and other such.

Now to preserve the purpose of Israel, it should then take an unpopular move by the rest of the world's standards, but popular amongst Israelis and zionists. It should create a system similar to Lebanon's old system. Under which the president of Israel will always be held by a Jewish-Israeli, and a secondary lesser position will be held by the an Arab-Israeli elected by the people ofcourse.

Under this system Israel and Palestine will prosper.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

Israel should be granted some liberties when it comes to international law due to being surrounded by terrorist states like Syria, Lebanon or Egypt that are constantly trying to drive it into the ocean

lolfag

When you criticise Iran as much as you do Israel, you might actually have some credibility.

I will criticise Iran as much as I criticise Israel when Iran is deserving of equal criticism. At this time, it is not.