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Significant support for Palestinians : Comments
By Stuart Rees, published 3/11/2015The Israel right or wrong lobby will be preparing their usual polemics about BDS being an anti-Semitic plot to abolish the state of Israel and drive its citizens into the sea.
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This shows a clear double standard in favor of Israel compared to its neighbours. Australia maintains a wide range of sanctions on countries in Israel’s region, with sanctions on states and groups in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Palestine, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iran, and Libya (see the official DFAT sanctions pages http://dfat.gov.au/international-relations/security/sanctions/sanctions-regimes/Pages/sanctions-regimes.aspx and http://dfat.gov.au/international-relations/security/sanctions/Pages/consolidated-list.aspx)
There is however one country in the region with a terrible human rights record which is conspicuously absent from Australian sanctions.
Israel.
Instead Australia is actually using their tax-payers money to fund Israeli arms companies that are actively involved in violence against civilians and human rights abuses.
If Australia is placing sanctions against Arab and other Middle East violence, why is it not placing sanctions against Israeli violence?
Australia's failure to adopt a sensible, balanced foreign policy towards Israel and its neighbours is why the civil-society lead BDS campaign is so important in Australia. And why the campaign is growing.