From ‘Disarm Hamas’ to ‘Please Behave’
Labor’s Middle East policy just got a lot more accommodating.
Labor Party officials are busy polishing the policies they’ll unveil at the ALP National Conference in a few weeks.
One of those policies concerns the conflict in the Middle East, and you won’t believe what will be proposed.
Actually, maybe you will believe it.
Hamas Disarmament Requirement Disappears
After Anthony Albanese had said that Hamas must disarm, the ALP’s latest draft policy on the Middle East makes no mention of the terror group giving up its weapons at all.
Whereas the previous policy platform, circulated in April, said:
“Hamas must disarm and can have no role in the state of Palestine.”
The most recent draft, as circulated two days ago, is very different.
It says:
Labor “condemns terrorism and violent extremism, including as perpetrated by Hamas and other extremists.”
That’s the only mention of Hamas – who murdered more than 1000 people in the October 7 invasion of Israel.
There’s no call for Hamas to disarm.
And there’s no stipulation that Hamas cannot be involved in a future two-state solution.
The draft Labor policy only says that Hamas just mustn’t do terroristy things.
It’s a remarkably low bar.
It’s like telling an arsonist he can keep the flamethrower as long as he promises to be more responsible with it.
A Significant Shift
The timing is interesting…
Hamas announced two days ago that it would relinquish power in Gaza so that a committee could administer the region.
That seems like a big shift for the terrorist group who have ruled Gaza for 20 years after being voted into power by Palestinians back in 2007.
But while signalling their willingness to step aside from the day-to-day governance of Gaza, Hamas continues to refuse disarmament.
Imagine if Albanese insisted on a gun buyback scheme here after the Bondi massacre, but Labor policy insisted no such thing was necessary in Gaza after October 7.
Most commentators don’t take the Hamas decision seriously.
They say Hamas is only offering to relinquish power so that Israel will be pressured to pull out of the strip… leaving Hamas intact, still armed to the teeth.
What the Policy Changes Reveal About Labor’s Priorities
Meanwhile, back here in Australia, the latest ALP draft policy has quietly dispensed with most of the conditions Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong told us would need to be met before Australia recognised a Palestinian state.
Gone are calls for the Palestinian Authority to hold democratic elections.
Gone is the requirement that the Palestinian Authority renounce calls for Israel’s destruction.
Gone are demands for financial reform.
Gone are expectations that the Palestinian Authority clean up an education system long criticised for encouraging hatred rather than peace.
These were all conditions Anthony Albanese himself previously attached to recognising a Palestinian state.
But now?
Now, all the prerequisites for Palestinian statehood have gone the way of our promised $275 power price reduction.
The only mention of the Palestinian Authority in the policy draft is that Australia, under Labor, would work with the PA to achieve a two-state solution.
Of course, a Labor government can always depart from official policy.
But party platforms tell you something important.
They reveal where the movement’s instincts lie.
And if Labor instincts no longer include demanding that one of the world’s most notorious terrorist organisations disarm before being folded into a future political settlement… that ought to concern everyone.
While we’re talking about Labor’s position on Israel, have a look at this image from Spain, where they have just begun their annual Running of the Bulls festival.
Huge crowds. All celebrating. Dressed in red. And look at the massive banner being freely and proudly displayed by a large section of the crowd.
It’s not quite the ALP National Conference. But when you’re rooting for Hamas and an unreformed Palestinian Authority… well, it’s not far off.
___
Republished with thanks to The James Macpherson Report. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
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There’s a lot “gone” as James points out.
Interestingly, what has not gone is the desire to work on a two-state “solution” – a solution that Hamas and the Palestinians said they do NOT want.