I'm just another mushroom when it comes to politics and the endless competition of "antiquated", irrelevant, backward looking ideas!

And with it, the prospering of some to the endless detriment of the (kept in the dark and fed lots of horse manure) mushrooms!

If our pollies excell in anything it has to be timidity and an over reliance on seriously questionable alliances and even more questionable trade pacts?

There's a lot of pot calling the kettle black in modern self serving tail wagging the dog politics or the manifest cronyism and rank hypocrisy that seems to further contaminate it?

What we need is forthright folk able to call a spade a shovel! Even if that upsets Sara Netanyahu?

We need to become a litte more inward looking and in complete control here at home; and create self sufficient independence that progressively incorporates complete self reliance!

That's where our future lies, particularly if the smoldering embers in the middle east become a conflagration that could usher in armageddon?

That means charting our own course, as opposed to one marked out (bought and paid for) for us by our so called (manipulating) allies or the fossil fuel industry/energy corporations! [Tobacco, asbestos, big pharma, coal corporations, power companies, along with an assorted assembly, whose primary commercial interests would be harmed if we ever put the true national interest first and protected it with bipartisan policy paradigms we could all believe as a single nation united behind common nation building purpose!

None of which is really served by sucking up to this or that counterproductive vested interest! be it Israel, Russia, North Korea, or any other trouble spot needing only the winds of change, or injustice, to fan smoldering embers into flame?
Alan B.

The muslim and Arab countries are hardly a shining light for rule of law, tolerance and human rights, whereas Israel is the only functioning democracy with human rights and tolerance.

Kazak shouldn't be yet another Muslim whinger who criticises Australia, the country that gives him sanctuary. If he claims there is a White Australia he can nick back to his beloved homeland in the Middle East.

Certainly most Australians have more solidarity with other Australians that happen to be Jewish. Israel like Australia fears Islamic terrorism.

Now seems Kazak is doing well for himself. He's put out his shingle as a businessman in Australia, as Managing Director of Southern Link International, a business, investment consultancy, and public relations company. http://www.southernlink.com.au/English/Managing%20Director%20Profile.htm

Well at least there is no foreseeable danger of Australia being invaded by Israel - something we cannot say about China!

Obama is not white and his policy is against Chinese islands and a little bit upset about Israel's housing booms. Syria is strongly against all housing with each way bets on the US for IS and illegal IED against rebel voters. If Syria, rebels and IS bomb Israel then we know where we stand .

Sponsored free trips to political leaders, public servants, university students and journalists...

Is Ali Kazak offended that he was not invited?

Also when Labor MPs criticised China's violations of south China sea human rights in 2017, there was the threat of withdrawing Chinese financial support to Labor, leading the former Federal Labor MP Xiao Tengto to say as reported in the Beijing Australian:

The threat to withdraw financial support for the ALP because of perceived anti-China comments by Labor backbenchers is worrying. Not because the Labor needs the money, but because it suggests that all party members must toe the line even if their comments broadly agree with Labor policy. China has been very slow to learn from Israel.

Australia's foreign affairs policy is determined by USA, it's 'friend and ally'. It is sad to have seen Rudd, Guillard, Turnbull, trot along side Obama on a trip to Washington to get their orders, about whom to demonise, whom to sell assets like Darwin Port, how much to spend on defence, etc.

Fortunately, America was forced into WW11 as an unwilling ally; and over here, overpaid and over sexed!

And mostly a critique of American politicians masquerading as (forever meddling/demanding) chiefs of staff? And arguably the reason for all the patent stuff ups?

We went all the way with LBJ only to see our ally tuck tail and run, when what was required was a counteroffensive and free elections! Even if that ended a corrupt puppet government's hold on power?

Again, too willing to jump ship, when the best council would have been to remain in Afghanistan in full strength and finish the job!

Israel needs to fight her own battles, reap the whirlwind she has created!? Rather than continue to rely on the umbrella of unwilling allies?

Allies who proved their worth in Vietnam (desertion in the face of a smaller, weaker, less well armed, more intelligently lead enemy) and Afghanistan, when what was required was a final, finish the job push?

And again in Iraq, urging the shiites to rise up against Saddam Hussein, then like before elsewhere, leaving them to their predictable fate?

And again in Gulf war two, dumbly de-bathing government and demobilising the Iraqi army, to ensure a maximised but essentially avoidable blood bath!

With friends like that, who needs enemies?

A cruise missile in Assards front door, when he was in, could have ended the Syrian blood bath many months ago and saved countless lives!

Lack of essential President Kennedy like resolve, in the face of a demonstrably weaker enemy has completely reversed the fortunes of the rebels; not helped by the (preventable) troubling involvement of the Russians!

We should have a white, black, brindle, foreign affairs policy of becoming an island of sanity in world gone mad and make a start on complete self sufficiency/self reliance ASAP; and just selling more to the world than we buy from it!

As we transition back to a manufacturing economy! An essential must do, as is staying out of other folks military adventures!
Alan B.

It is all really simple to understand.
The Palistinians believe that moslems always lived in what we call
Israel and that the Jews NEVER lived there.
They really believe that and that is why their policy is that the jews
should leave Israel and for them to return somewhere.

The article is a whole lot of point missing.

The Jews lived there for thousands of years and the Arabs lived in Arabia.
When Islam was founded in Arabia Allah commanded them to take over the world.
They started with Mesopotamia and the Levant.
The Jews were driven out by the Romans, but not entirely.
Later the Christians were attacked, and still are, by the moslems for
being on "moslem" lands.
The Arab justification for calling the Israelis occupiers is based on
the absurd idea that the Jews never lived there.
It is so silly that the other excuse they use is that land once
occupied by moslems always remains moslem land no matter how it was
acquired in the past.

Is Kazak still alive ?
Its been a few drinks since 1975 when he paraded around Australia
arguing the death of the state of Israel.
Problem now is that he lives in the past...1985, 1992, 1993, 1995 and one "modern" reference to 2003.(31 years ago to 13 years ago)
Most of his quotes are Historical and no longer current by a long shot.
But he seems to resent not just israel but Jewish people who support Israel.Taking the mirror image however is quite ok however!Kazak himself as a Muslim palestinian who has ,it seems made Australia his home, and has no problem pushing for palestine.
I must say, it seems like the pot calling the kettle black....and the pot is too old and rusty by now.

Israelis are more like us than Palestinians, they are the only democratic country in their area, and they resist Muslim extremist. What else does this fellow think Australia would do? Recognise and support an enemy?

ttbn, well he is a moslem and because of their genetic defects their
mental reasoning is damaged. He may well be descended from thousands of
years of cousin marriage, and it makes the decisions other people make
difficult to understand.
Their statements that the Jews never lived in Israel then makes sense.
I suspect this the reason governments have so much trouble coming to
grips with Islam. It leads to politicians, media etc making excuses
and trying to avoid publicising that the offender was a moslem in
many of cases that are committed by Islamists.

Ali, did you make this up all yourself, or did you have a few delusional assistants.
If you did it yourself, there must have been some substance abuse to produce this:” consecutive Liberal and Labor governments have been selling Australia’s foreign policy to Israel for decades with cash and free trips, putting its interests above Australia’s national interests and dancing to the tune of its extremist lobby.”
None of your nonsense has evidence to support it.
Who did you think you could fool with this rubbish?

Leo Lane,
If you can't accept the truth from a Palestinian, then how about from a Jew?
http://antonyloewenstein.com/2012/08/16/australian-zionist-lobby-keen-to-brain-wash-young-student-leaders-in-israel/

Armchair Critic:

I take it you are also bitter about not having been invited on any of those trips.

Most of us are adults who can make up our own minds when presented with the Israeli point of view. That's what those trips are about - a way of expressing the Israeli viewpoint, which you are free to either accept or reject.

You are always welcome to travel to the Palestinian territories for an opposing view.

@Bazz, Monday, 26 September 2016 5:11:27 PM

Fair comment Bazz; after all, how dare those pesky Moslems ignore the Roman Senate's designation of Herod (the Great) as: "King of the Jews"?

This occurred around 40 BCE I believe.

Thanks, AC, for the link.
On the face of it, Lowenstein’s account is believable, while the style and content of Ali’s output, puts it immediately in doubt as to its veracity.
Whether written by a jew or a Palestinian was not a relevant factor in considering the prima facie impression of the documents, so I did not consider your remark appropriate, in seeking to imply a prejudice on my part.
The form and content of Ali’s article invited my denigration, not his nationality.

Avw,
"I take it you are also bitter about not having been invited on any of those trips."

Of course not, I couldn't care less about a free trip to Israel (like I'd even want to go there) and I have to add that I'm totally offended that you suggested it.

All I care about is Australia and Australians, and to suggest otherwise is a bloody disgrace.
Why exactly would caring about Australia and Australians NOT BE the naturally normal position for me to have?
Do you think I'd sell my country out over a free holiday you dirtbag?
I'm not like the 40% of Australians that weren't born here and probably would sell the country out at the mention of SOMETHING FREE.

You may see it as "a way of expressing the Israeli viewpoint" but some might see it as:
"Seeking To Influence Australian Foreign Policy";
Or "Buying Our Democracy";
Or "Subverting Our Country";
Or even "Buying Our Silent Complicity In The War Crimes Committed Upon The Palestinian People".

It is what it is mate.
Don't try to make it something isn't.

You want to know why people buy other people off?
Because it's cheaper.

If that doesn't work then use your power and influence to essentially blackmail them.
Sound familiar?

Armchair:

You really should learn to lighten up. All this anxiety and hostility is bad for your health. Is swearing at someone for disagreeing with you an acceptable response in your view? Is this how you normally present your arguments? I prefer facts and logic, but each to his own I guess.

"I couldn't care less about a free trip to Israel (like I'd even want to go there)"

Of course you wouldn't want to go there. Why should you do some first-hand research when you can simply rely on prejudice expressed by someone else? It's far easier.

Nothing forces an individual to agree with the Israeli point of view after completing their trip there. It's not like you need to sign a contract prior to your departure.

As for seeking to influence the foreign policy of another nation, allow me to let you in on a secret: every country in the world does exactly that - seeking to influence the foreign policy of other countries. I can recommend a few good books about this topic, but I doubt you'll ever read them anyway so why bother.

I hope you have stress-free day.

I'm just another mushroom when it comes to politics and the endless competition of "antiquated", irrelevant, backward looking ideas!

And with it, the prospering of some to the endless detriment of the (kept in the dark and fed lots of horse manure) mushrooms!

If our pollies excell in anything it has to be timidity and an over reliance on seriously questionable alliances and even more questionable trade pacts?

There's a lot of pot calling the kettle black in modern self serving tail wagging the dog politics or the manifest cronyism and rank hypocrisy that seems to further contaminate it?

What we need is forthright folk able to call a spade a shovel! Even if that upsets Sara Netanyahu?

We need to become a litte more inward looking and in complete control here at home; and create self sufficient independence that progressively incorporates complete self reliance!

That's where our future lies, particularly if the smoldering embers in the middle east become a conflagration that could usher in armageddon?

That means charting our own course, as opposed to one marked out (bought and paid for) for us by our so called (manipulating) allies or the fossil fuel industry/energy corporations! [Tobacco, asbestos, big pharma, coal corporations, power companies, along with an assorted assembly, whose primary commercial interests would be harmed if we ever put the true national interest first and protected it with bipartisan policy paradigms we could all believe as a single nation united behind common nation building purpose!

None of which is really served by sucking up to this or that counterproductive vested interest! be it Israel, Russia, North Korea, or any other trouble spot needing only the winds of change, or injustice, to fan smoldering embers into flame?
Alan B.
Posted by Alan B., Monday, 26 September 2016 12:46:01 PM

Totally agree

'Nothing forces an individual to agree with the Israeli point of view after completing their trip there.'

Yeah ok, but tell me what's the percentage of MP's who do take the free trips then take a PRO-Israel stance, and what's the percentage of MP's that don't?
Tell me what's the success rate of these free trips?
Was it money well spent for Israel?
Foreign Policy stances purchased as cheap as chips?
I imagine it must be pretty hard going against the party's established status qao.

Since the entire planet is being swamped by mostly 'turd sandwhich' calibre leaders that would sell ALL of their citizens out at the drop of a hat for globalism, I don't really have anything to either add or retract to my original comment except to say that our politicians should be concerned with Australian issues and not indoctrinated into foreign ones.

Go ahead and find a way to argue with that.

I'm not going to apologise for my 'dirtbag' comment.
You invited it when you suggested that the normal thing to do is take the free trip and in effect sell my country out, and I took offense.
Just because our elected leaders do it without a second thought, doesn't mean I would.
I don't think its right, and I don't think it's funny.

AC:

"...tell me what's the percentage of MP's who do take the free trips then take a PRO-Israel stance, and what's the percentage of MP's that don't?"

Did you ever pause to consider that perhaps when presented with an accurate overview of the situation, rather than the venomous views and opinions expressed by some who have never bothered to visit the area and decide for themselves, those MPs might actually reach this conclusion of their own accord? Yes, perhaps it is money well spent, but opening someone's eyes to the real facts does not necessarily mean that their opinion is bought and paid for as you claim.

Like it or not, Australia is involved in world affairs, and given that we are involved, it is the duty of our politicians to try and get exposure to many points of view, not just yours. Would you prefer us to withdraw from all world affairs and live like hermits? Or (what is far more likely) is it only a particular policy that you are objecting to?

I do not need your apology for your name-calling. If this is what give you kicks, go right ahead. I understand where you're coming from, it's certainly easier to swear than actually present some logical thinking and rely on evidence and common sense.

"...you suggested that the normal thing to do is take the free trip and in effect sell my country out...I don't think its right, and I don't think it's funny"

I can see that truth and accuracy is not one of your strong suits either. Can you point to where exactly I said any of this? You're right it's not funny, and it's not true either.

I'll leave it at that.

I do not know anything of these Israeli trips.
What does it matter if someone goes there and changes his mind on
who is at fault in that land dispute.
He might change his mind because of what he saw.
Whats wrong with that ?
If he didn't change his mind.
Whats wrong with that ?

Bit of a storm in a teacup I think.