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“Each-way Albo has turned Australia into an each-way state trying to appease the antisemites and appear to be friendly to Israel at the same time. Chamberlain has shown us that the path of appeasement is dangerous as it just emboldens those with no moral conscience,” said co-founders of Indigenous Friends of Israel, Norman and Barbara Miller.

There can be no peace with an enemy that wants to destroy us with its genocidal claims of “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free.” This calls for the annihilation of the only Jewish state in the world and driving all its people into the sea. Only the hateful or naïve would agree with it.

Indigenous Friends of Israel was responding to the UN non-binding vote for an immediate ceasefire in the Hamas-Israel war. Australia was one of 153 nations who voted in favour of it, while the US was one of 10 nations who voted against it, and the UK was one of 23 nations who abstained.

We agree with Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, who said he finds it difficult to understand how Australia can support Israel’s right to defend its people from terrorist aggression, while also voting in support of a ceasefire that will embolden Hamas.

“This war can only end with Hamas being totally defeated and the liberation of all our hostages,” he said.

Hostages Must Be Returned

The Millers said, “Shame on the Australian government voting for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war at the UN and shame on the UN. This is siding with a terrorist group rather than a nation legitimately defending itself against the most horrific terror act on October 7 and the repeated statements by Hamas leaders that they will continue to perpetrate as many attacks like October 7 as possible.

Hamas broke the ceasefire with the October 7 attack and has been attacking Israel with rockets before and since then, aiming at civilian areas. Of course, it is distressing to see the number of civilians killed and dislocated in Gaza, but Hamas is to blame for this by both using them as human shields, placing terrorist infrastructure in hospitals and schools, and using them as PR fodder to increase sympathy for Hamas’ cause. Israel has made huge efforts to reduce casualties, even tying their hands behind their backs by advertising their moves in advance.

There can be no ceasefire until Hamas returns the Israeli hostages who are still being raped, drugged, and abused, with some having been killed in captivity. This is another war crime on top of the war crimes of October 7. Also, there can be no ceasefire until Hamas is disarmed, dismantled, surrenders, and gives up its ringleaders who have committed these war crimes.

Untenable

Where was the UN when Arabs killed thousands of Arabs in a number of conflicts? It is antisemitism when Jews are singled out.

There were no calls to have a ceasefire with the Nazis in World War II, nor should there have been. Why pick on Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, and demand a ceasefire, leaving Hamas to attack again?

Australia made an earlier joint declaration with Canada and New Zealand that “Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields and lay down its arms. There is no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza.”

This recognised that Hamas needs to be removed, but the UN vote lets them remain in power, leaving Australia with a contradictory policy.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong was hailed in the Egyptian media a few months ago for recognising Palestine when she was instrumental in changing Labor party and government policy to call the West Bank and Gaza “occupied Palestinian territories” rather than “disputed territories” even though Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005.

Internal disunity in the Albanese government, with ministers like Ed Husic and Tony Burke singing from a different song sheet, doesn’t help. The Labor government is more interested in securing the pro-Palestinian vote at home amid challenges from the Greens, rather than standing up for good values on the international stage and giving good leadership in Australia.

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Photo by Niklas Jeromin.