Very good article Kellie. Are you aware that Australia was once more out of step with world opinion this Monday just past? The UN General Assembly voted on a resolution urging Israel to join the non-proliferation treaty and submit itself to IAEA inspections.

The vote was 174 in favour; 6 against and 6 abstentions. The 6 against were Israel, the US, Canada and the three colonies Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau.

The 6 abstentions were Australia, Cameroon, Ethiopia, India, Ivory Coast, and Panama.

What possible intellectual, moral or ethical basis is there for Australia to abstain? I suggest there is none. The only reason that is apparent is ritual obeisance and cowardice. Significantly, the mainstream media are ignoring this vote.

Kelli,
You and the other posters on this thread that think the Aus astain last week at the UN had anything to do supporting Palestine are dreadfully wrong.

The only thing was to try to gain some support from muslims in some electorates in view of an election this coming year.

Nothing more, nothing less. Such is the moprality of Labor politicians.

David G:

“…one of the most brutal regimes the world has ever seen (Israel)…”
“…the most brutal imperial regimes the world has ever seen (the U.S.)…”

Wow. One of the most brutal! This is serious stuff. I take it you’ve done the research? Iran – no, Syria – no, North Korea – no, Hamas’s rule – no, Israel and the US – YES.

Can you post some evidence of this research? I suspect there is none, it is nothing but the usual rhetoric that we have come to expect from you.

VK3AUU:

“you conveniently forget that that the state of Israel was established because of the terrorist activities of the Zionists”

You are claiming 2 things in this sentence: 1) all Zionists were indeed terrorists, and 2) the reason the state of Israel was established was because of terrorists activities.

The answer to both this claims is a resounding NO. Unless you have some evidence that I am not aware of.

...I hate being the one to alert James O’Neill to the truth that he has “transposed” reality here. Surely JO’N, if Australia were to act like a “sheep”, (as the shrill-call indicates), abstaining from a group of 174 yes votes against six no votes makes Australia the “Tall Poppy”.

...It is not cowardly to be aligned as the tall poppy; it is surely an act of originality and bravery to do so! (24hr post limit).

While most people support a two states solution, Israelis included, the Palestinians do not accept co-existence with the state of Israel. The Palestinians should have a state only when they accept the existence of the state of Israel. No state should support the admission to the UN of a state that does not recognise the right of existence of another member state.

Dr. Ottensooser
Woollahra

Nice article. I find it extremely shameful that Australia toes the American line and blindly supports Israel in it ongoing brutality against the Palestinians attempts to prevent any possibility of a two state solution. The Israeli actions since the vote only prove their true motives and positions. i.e expanding their settlement enterprise in order to cut the West bank in half and cut it off from East Jerusalem.
Banjo explains that the abstention was not due to any moral urges but rather "was to try to gain some support from muslims in some electorates in view of an election this coming year." I'm sure he's correct.
Well at least they are taking into account the opinions of Australian citizens on this matter, Muslim or not. It is a shame that more non-Muslim Australians wont condemn the government for their intransigence on this issue.
Its a terrible thing that Israel is able to dictate American foreign policy, but the fact that they seem to be able to dictate ours as well is truly worrying. Perhaps we should be taking a leaf out of New Zealand's book and stand on our own two feet, basing our foreign policies on what is right rather than what America or Israel tells us to do.