Labor frontbencher Tony Burke trashes Israel: TONY Burke has reignited the clash in Labor over the Middle East by saying Jewish settlements in the West Bank are a ploy to block a two-state solution, and are “trashing” the drinking water of Palestinians. So trenchant was Mr Burke in his criticism of Israel that he won the praise of Sydney academic Jake Lynch and the acknowledgment of Greens senator Lee Rhiannon, known for their vocal support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel. In a blistering attack on Israel during a keynote address to a pro-Palestinian fundraiser, the senior Labor frontbencher said he, Senator Rhiannon, diplomats from Arab nations and others at the event were “here representing the view of the majority of the world”. Mr Burke said anyone who supported Israel’s bombing UN compounds in Gaza was “on the wrong side of that argument”. An important detail missing from this report: Labor frontbencher Tony Burke, for instance, represents the Sydney seat of Watson, which now has an astonishing 20 per cent of Muslim voters. Labor is pandering to a religious minority which is helping it to hold key marginal seats. In exchange it is betraying our principles and our allies, and feeding a dangerous sense of victimhood among jihad-sympathisers only too keen to believe that Jews and the West are the real terrorists. Burke is not just deserting Israel to please his Muslim voters. He is deserting the West generally, including Australia. Consider the statement issued on the day the Islamic State released a video showing the decapitation of American journalist James Foley - a statement now signed by more than 80 Islamic leaders and groups in Australia. Note that Australian support for Israel is wrapped up with other things deemed anti-Muslim by these “leaders” - like domestic anti-terrorism legislation and military action against terrorists and genocidal dictators in the Middle East: The primary basis of [the Abbott Government’s planned anti-terrorist] laws is a trumped up ‘threat’ from ‘radicalised’ Muslims returning from Iraq or Syria. There is no solid evidence to substantiate this threat. Rather, racist caricatures of Muslims as backwards, prone to violence and inherently problematic are being exploited. It is instructive that similar issues about Australian troops travelling abroad to fight or Jews travelling to train or fight with the Israeli Defence Force are simply never raised… We are not fooled by those who speak against violence and terrorism but are its proponents at an institutional level through military and foreign policies. We are not fooled by those who speak of peace but maintain cordial ties with dictatorial regimes abroad and who support and justify the most heinous of violence inflicted on innocent people as seen recently in Gaza.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 08:10:06 +0000