Why does the Albanese Government shirk its responsibility?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, like leaders of Liberal Governments before them, when asked to play a positive role toward the Palestinian people and the Middle East, repeat the claim that Australia is “not a major player” in the Middle East.

This claim is untrue and misleads the public.

Australia played a major role in the partition of Palestine in 1947 for the establishment of a colonial Jewish state, which paved the way in the same year for three Zionist terrorist organisations: the Haganah, the Irgun, and the Stern Gang. These outfits launched a war, putting a military plan called Dalet into force with two objectives: to establish a Jewish state beyond the boundaries defined by the UN partition plan and remove Palestinians by expelling them, to turn the Palestinian majority into a minority and the Jewish minority into a majority.

Through terror and dozens of massacres against the unarmed and unprotected Palestinians, they ethnically cleansed more than 850,000 Palestinians, which is about 70% of the Palestinian population, from their cities and villages, only because they were not Jewish. They were stripped of everything they owned, except the clothes on their backs.

On 14 May 1948, the Zionists declared the establishment of a Jewish state on 78% of Palestine, well beyond the 56% the UN partition plan specified.

They renamed Palestine as Israel, and Palestine disappeared from the world’s geographic maps.

Thus, the catastrophe, known as Al-Nakba, and the Palestinian question were born, with the refugees’ right to return representing its core.

Therefore, Australia bears both historical and moral responsibility towards the Palestinian people, including ensuring refugees’ rights to return to their homes, equality, and Palestinians’ right to self-determination in their country. Australia cannot evade this responsibility and must hold Israel accountable under international law.

Australia has been involved in various colonial and military conflicts in the Arab world. This includes involvement in the Sudan Campaign of 1885, the World War I and II, and the aggression against Iraq. Additionally, Australia maintains military bases in the region and provides Israel with military intelligence through the spy station located at Pine Gap.

Given this history of involvement in colonialism, aggression, and wars in the Arab world, why is it that when it comes to supporting justice and peace, politicians abandon their responsibility and claim Australia is not a player in the Middle East?

In 1967, Israel launched a war perpetrating the second Nakba, and occupied what remained of Palestine, from the river to the sea, in addition to neighbouring Arab lands, killing tens of thousands more and ethnically cleansing over half a million Palestinians, as part of the Zionist policy to pump out Palestinians from their homeland and pump in Jews.

Israel is now committing a third catastrophe (Nakba) since its establishment in Palestine in 1948.

In the last 18 months, in Gaza and the West Bank, Israel has killed more than 52,269 Palestinians, including 18,336 children, 12,400 women, 1,402 doctors and health workers, as well as hundreds of UN staff, journalists, teachers, professors, artists, writers, sportsmen and women, and injured more than 124,000, 70% of whom are children and women.

Some 92% (436,000) of homes and housing units in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, in addition to 80% of commercial facilities, and the total or partial destruction of 506 schools and universities, 36 hospitals, 828 mosques, 3 churches, 87 libraries, electricity and water stations, farms, bakeries, factories, cultural centres, and even the zoo.

About 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents were forcibly displaced, many of them multiple times.

Israel’s systematic blocking of food, medicine, fuel, and destruction of the entire infrastructure is intentional and premeditated to make Gaza unliveable and Palestinians insecure in their country in order to force them to leave.

Israel’s arrogance and strong influence in the US have allowed it to obstruct the enforcement of international law and UN resolutions, enabling it to evade accountability for its violations and war crimes over the past 76 years. The international community must reject this situation. Israel should not be above international law.

Israel and its lobbies have historically relied on the ignorance of the public regarding the history and root causes of the issue, claiming that it is complex and difficult, applying the saying “if you can’t win them, confuse them”.

However, as Israel can no longer conceal the nature of its colonial apartheid project and denial of legitimate Palestinian rights, it is losing the argument.

Consequently, through its lobby’s political donations and influence over politicians, it is trying to silence its critics by equating anti-Israel and anti-Zionist opposition with antisemitism and pressuring feckless politicians to pass legislation that criminalises such opposition.

This is dangerous because it holds Jews responsible for Israel’s crimes against humanity. It’s one of the most serious anti-Jewish offences committed by the Israeli lobby and politicians in the government and the opposition.

But this vicious tactic of committing their crimes and hiding behind the Jewish people is being challenged by Jews and non-Jews who are raising the slogan “not in our name”. They assert that if condemning Israel’s colonial apartheid, denial of Palestinian rights to freedom and equality in their country is considered antisemitism, then yes, we are antisemites. And if condemning a war of genocide, the killing of children, men and women, and the destruction of people’s homes, hospitals, schools, and universities is antisemitism, then yes, we are antisemites.

Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton mindlessly repeat false and misleading talking points from the Israeli lobby and recklessly adopt their demands, without considering the harm to their credibility, to Australia, to Jews, to the Palestinians, and the stability of the Middle East.

For example, consider the slogan used by Palestinians and their supporters: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” This phrase is a call for freedom, liberty, and equality for all.

In contrast, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party, states in its charter, that “Between the Sea and the Jordan [River], there will only be Israeli sovereignty,” and the racist Jewish Nation-State Law asserts that all of historic Palestine, from the river to the sea and beyond, belongs to Jews worldwide, and only Jews have the right to self-determination.

On top of all this, in September 2023, during his speech at the United Nations, Netanyahu presented a map that depicted all of historic Palestine, from the river to the sea, as Israel.

Meanwhile, Israel is implementing this policy on the ground through oppression, killing, land confiscation, building of colonies, a war of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

So why do Albanese and Dutton attack calls for freedom and equality, labelling them as antisemitic, and not call Israel’s colonial project, over all of Palestine from the river to the sea, anti-Palestinian?

When will they feel ashamed of their blatant hypocrisy, double standards and the betrayal of the values they claim to uphold, including Australia’s commitments to international law and human rights?

Albanese, Dutton and members of their parties are putting their personal and party interests above Australia’s national interests, values, and the pursuit of peace in the Middle East in order to have the blessings and political donations of the Israeli lobby. Decent Australians do not accept this.

No one can now say they didn’t know. Everyone is witnessing this savage sadistic crime, for which Israel must be held accountable, along with complicit politicians and media who support Israel and provide it with finance, arms and excuses.

Honest Australians must take a stand and exercise their moral conscience. They must reject colonial apartheid Israel, and those who stand with it and defend its crimes. Failure to take a stand amounts to complicity.

They need to be on the right side of history and play their part to achieve justice for the Palestinian people and peace in the Middle East.

Hold unprincipled politicians accountable. Vote them out, and support candidates who align with our Australian values of humanity.