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Australia and its Israel Embassy: What are they Thinking?

James O’Neill

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According to recent media reports, the Liberal candidate in the Wentworth (Sydney) by-election, former diplomat David Sharma said he “was open” to the idea that Australia’s embassy in Israel could be shifted from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In a separate tweet he went further and said Australia “should consider recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The ostensible reason is that it would be following the lead of the United States.

In separate reports, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is said to be making an announcement in Canberra on 16 October also suggesting that Australia should follow the US lead.

Sharma did qualify his suggestion that Australia’s embassy shift to Jerusalem “should be looked at in the context of a two-state solution (to Israel-Palestine)“.

It is possible that both Sharma and Morrison have timed their statements to coincide with the by-election by making a pitch for the Jewish vote in that electorate. According to census data, Wentworth has 12.5 percent of its population professing the Jewish faith, a significant figure in electoral terms. That is the kindest interpretation that can be placed on their remarks.

More likely, it is yet another example of Australia blindly following the United States in adopting a policy that is clearly in breach of international law. The Guardian and other mainstream media outlets have noted that the American policy has thus far only been followed by Guatemala. No mainstream media outlet has raised the issue of such a policy being in breach of international law. The special status of Jerusalem has been completely ignored.

Jerusalem is an international city under United Nations protection, and has been so since Resolution 181 of 1947, which declared Jerusalem a “separate entity.”

In June 1980, UN Security Council Resolution 476 was unanimously passed (i.e. including the US), declaring that “all actions by Israel, the occupying power, which purports to alter the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law.”

UNSC Resolution 478, also passed unanimously, called upon all “States to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the Holy City of Jerusalem.” UNSC resolutions are binding on all States. There is no room for ambiguity here, and even if Sharma and Morrison (and the Australian media) choose to ignore this issue, that is not an excuse. It has to be presumed that the legal advisors to the government in the Department of Foreign Affairs are cognisant of the legal implications of the government’s proposed shift in policy.

Sharma’s qualification that such a move would be in the context of a two state solution is absolutely meaningless. The Israeli government is totally uninterested in such a development, as its actions since 1948 make abundantly clear. Its ongoing theft of Palestinian land, the blockade of Gaza, the daily shootings of Palestinian men, women and children and its complete ignoring of multiple General Assembly resolutions over decades are all symptomatic of a violent, apartheid regime for whom international law is just an impediment to fulfilment of the Yinon Plan for a Greater Israel.

That Australia should even contemplate moving its embassy to Jerusalem beggars belief. UNSC resolutions are binding on member states. The fact that the United States chooses to ignore international law comes as no great surprise, even when, as with the Jerusalem resolutions they were a party to their formulation and voted for them.

The latest suggestions about Australia moving its embassy to Jerusalem puts them in the same dubious company as the US and Israel, both serial violates of international law. Does Australia really want to be in that company? Its voting record in the UN on Israel-Palestine issues tends to answer that question in the affirmative. This latest disregard for international law is consistent with Australia’s disregard for its international obligations toward the treatment of refugees on Manus and Nauru. It therefore marks a continuing downward slide from its earlier proud role as a supporter of a principled approach to foreign policy issues, and especially issues of international law.

This degradation of policy has not been matched with a reduction in the rhetoric of Australia’s professed belief in the “rules based international order.” The manifest hypocrisy of that position is now exemplified even more by the proposed shifting of the Australian embassy to Jerusalem. Australia’s policies are no more than a hollow sham.

James O’Neill is a Barrister at Law and geopolitical analyst. He may be contacted at [email protected]

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Filed under: Australia, empire watch, Essays, Israel, latest
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Laffaz
Laffaz
Oct 21, 2018 7:10 PM

Seems like US is close to be fulfilling its demented plan to co-evade every nation in the world with Israel.

wardropper
wardropper
Oct 20, 2018 4:39 PM

Let’s all move our embassies to Jerusalem.
Then the Promised Land will belong to us all…
I give up.
Without the foolish mainstream media to back them up, none of our modern “democratic” politicians would have a job.
The IQ requirements are rapidly approaching zero.

Mulga Mumblebrain
Mulga Mumblebrain
Oct 20, 2018 10:58 PM
Reply to  wardropper

Here in Austfailia, the ignorance and stupidity are taken for granted, but also plain to see is psychopathic viciousness and sheer hatred, manifested as class hatred, racism, misogyny, homophobia, social sadism and xenophobia etc, running rampant, and ever worsening, on the Right. We are ruled by Evil emanations from some diabolical region. The same is true of the Rightist media, particularly the Murdoch cancer.

wardropper
wardropper
Oct 20, 2018 4:31 PM

Just preparing the next “coalition of the willing” ready for another murderous abomination in the Middle East.

George Cornell
George Cornell
Oct 19, 2018 3:10 AM

When has Australia ever not followed the US lead? Invade Iraq? Invade Afghanistan? Sure, mate. An entire continent without self-respect, content to gloat over rising house prices thanks to the Asians for whom they seem to have thinly veiled contempt, and to yield all independence in foreign affairs.

neiljmac
neiljmac
Oct 19, 2018 5:13 AM
Reply to  George Cornell

As well as blightly following the US Navy in trying to provoke China in the south China Sea. So yeah nothing unusual in this behaviour at all.

Mulga Mumblebrain
Mulga Mumblebrain
Oct 19, 2018 11:44 PM
Reply to  George Cornell

When the time comes to ‘obliterate’ Iran, in Clinton’s typically psychopathic words, Austfailia’s political, media and military/intelligence ‘elites’ will be slobbering in delight, and volunteering to join the ‘Crusade’. Egged on, of course, by the local Zionazi Fifth Column that controls both major parties and the entire media.

Estaugh
Estaugh
Oct 18, 2018 10:01 PM
Haltonbrat
Haltonbrat
Oct 18, 2018 9:32 PM

If Israel says “Jump”, Australia says “How high?”.

Mulga Mumblebrain
Mulga Mumblebrain
Oct 18, 2018 10:56 PM
Reply to  Haltonbrat

Morriscum, who is a Pentecostal fanatic, like the sub-fascist Bolsanaro in Brazil, and who resembles Jesus of Nazareth as much as did Ted Bundy, was screeching in Parliament yesterday that the Labor Party’s criticism of his groveling to the Jewish community of Wentworth was ‘antisemitic’. I mean, it worked in the UK against Corbyn, so why not? The fact that the Labor Party grovels to the Jewish elite in this country as much as the Liberals is, of course, irrelevant.

Mulga Mumblebrain
Mulga Mumblebrain
Oct 20, 2018 9:51 AM

Good news! The Liberal/Pentecostal/Sabbat Goy Morriscum regime has lost the by-election with a massive swing against it.

Jen
Jen
Oct 20, 2018 11:27 AM

Probably the target voter population in Wentworth electorate decided to vote for anyone and everyone but David Sharma.

Serves ScoMo right.

But the genie has now been let out of the bag and surely when the Federal government is forced to call an early election (which might now be sooner than later), Israel may start pressuring Canberra to move the embassy to Jerusalem during the campaign season.

Mulga Mumblebrain
Mulga Mumblebrain
Oct 20, 2018 11:03 PM
Reply to  Jen

Jews in Wentworth (where my Gran lived years ago, and counted many old girls, some with tattooed camp numbers on their arms, as friends)are not a uniform bloc of Likudnik Zionazis. Many no doubt saw Morriscum’s illegal (it goes against several UNSC Resolutions)attempt to bribe them as typically stupid an contemptible. A Big Zionazi Lie is that ALL Jews are Zionazis like Bibi.

Mulga Mumblebrain
Mulga Mumblebrain
Oct 18, 2018 10:56 PM
Reply to  Haltonbrat

‘How high, SIR!’.

Jen
Jen
Oct 18, 2018 11:47 PM

(Said while grovelling on hands and knees, repeatedly kissing and licking Israel’s shoes)

Jim Scott
Jim Scott
Oct 20, 2018 4:14 PM
Reply to  Haltonbrat

Well actually Haltonbrat Australia has an intermediary to pass on Israels demands i.e the USA which has somehow $$$$ become a servant of Israel.

mark
mark
Oct 18, 2018 5:07 PM

I think what is more relevant here is that the US model of a complete Zionist stranglehold and domination over politics, media and the machinery of the state is being duplicated (and to a very significant extent already has been duplicated) in Canada, the UK, France, Germany and Australia. Anything other than total grovelling sycophancy where Zionist interests are concerned has been virtually criminalised. Any criticism of Israel whatever has now been outlawed. We all know the situation in the US, where any public figure displaying anything less than complete subservience to Zionist interests is driven out of public life and faces immediate destruction of career. Countless billions in tribute flows to Tel Aviv. All US politicians are required to swear fealty to Israel and their readiness to fight any number of wars for the Zionist Apartheid Regime. So are ordinary citizens seeking assistance after hurricanes/ natural disasters. Supporting BDS is now a criminal offence punishable by 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. In some respects, things are now even worse in other western countries. The Jewish Defence League, classed as a terrorist organisation even in the US and Israel, is allowed to run riot in Canada and France and given free rein to attack anyone it pleases. In France young people have been prosecuted for wearing BDS T shirts. Financial, military and diplomatic support for the Zionist Regime is off the scale. AIPAC shows unparalleled ingenuity in devising ever more impudent laws to serve Zionist interests, with a legal minimum base of $38 billion tribute to Israel that cannot be altered regardless of Zionist behaviour or economic conditions in the US. Adelson and his ilk have bought US foreign policy and Trump and his cronies are now busily devising pretexts for a war against Iran serving Zionist interests. F35s, Arrow missiles, Merkava tanks, Dolphin submarines, are all financed 100% by the western taxpayer. The Israeli taxpayer doesn’t have to put his hand in his pocket for a single shekel. Every Israeli Jewish household receives a minimum $23,000, and this is only one part of the picture. We see much the same in the UK, with Mossad agents working out of the Israeli Embassy to “bring down” anyone even mildly critical of Israeli policies like Alan Duncan and Crispin Blunt, with complete impunity from Theresa “Je Suis Juif” May and Boris “I Am A Fervent Zionist” Johnson. Given both men are gay, probably some Julian Assange type sex smear was planned. We have the Anti Semitic smear campaign against Corbyn orchestrated by the Embassy and the Board of Deputies with a war chest of over £1 million in collusion with Jewish and non Jewish Red Tory Blairite Backstabbers. The openly expressed objective is to drive Corbyn out of public life, like Ken Livingstone and Marc Wadsworth, and of course 80% of MPs are AIPAC style “Friends of Israel.” Any criticism of Israel whatever is now officially defined as “Anti Semitism”, with the Board of Deputies demanding immediate dismissal of anyone who “offends” them, even as Zionist thugs gun down hundreds of unarmed demonstrators in Gaza with dum dum bullets and British sniper rifles and explicitly racist Nuremburg style laws are passed. There has been a lot of hysteria over “Sharia Patrols”, but we now have a separate Jewish Police Force controlled by the Board of Deputies with police cars and police uniforms. Of course, no appeasement, no amount of grovelling, is ever enough. Give Israel $10 billion and you are anti semitic because you haven’t given them $50 billion. Give them $50 billion and you are anti semitic because you haven’t given them $100 billion. Fight 5 wars for Israel and you are anti semitic because you haven’t fought 10 wars for Israel.

George Cornell
George Cornell
Oct 19, 2018 3:13 AM
Reply to  mark

As the chief Rabbi in London once said , anti-semitism is disliking Jews more than is warranted.

mark
mark
Oct 19, 2018 3:53 AM
Reply to  George Cornell

In the past, being anti semitic meant hating or disliking Jews. Now you are anti semitic if Zionist Jews hate or dislike you.

George Cornell
George Cornell
Oct 19, 2018 4:11 AM
Reply to  mark

Yes anti-semitism is so severe that Jews have been excluded from positions of influence, are hugely underrepresented among the rich, never win international awards, and are denied opportunities at every turn. And it is always increasing, especially the fabled ‘virulent ‘ ‘rabid’ form.

MICHAEL LEIGH
MICHAEL LEIGH
Oct 24, 2018 1:20 AM
Reply to  mark

Actually Mark,I have refused to use the descriptives, ‘ Jew or Jewish ‘ having observed how writers new and old, famed or otherwise, have sought to combine the ambiguity of the noun and the adjectival to the point of gross inhumanity’

But, personally I am also disgusted to note that my personal use of the perfectivly historic and Hebraic religious correct useage for such adherents and followers as descriptivlye hebrews, and my use of that descriptive, now makes me legally culpable as an anti-semite ?

Antonym
Antonym
Oct 19, 2018 2:58 PM
Reply to  mark

British relatives of Nazi-era refugees seek German passports before Brexit https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/19/british-relatives-of-nazi-victims-seek-german-passports-before-brexit

Huge rise in number of requests from descendants of refugees who fled Hitler

Can’t blame them….

BigB
BigB
Oct 18, 2018 4:59 PM

The Russian Federation were the first to recognise West al-Quds as Israel’s capital …before Trump. True, they did not move their embassy there, but they held their Russia Day independence celebration …which is inflammatory enough: given the creeping annexation of the Palestinian city.

https://m.jpost.com/Israel-News/For-first-time-ever-Russia-to-celebrate-independence-in-Jerusalem-559131

Mulga Mumblebrain
Mulga Mumblebrain
Oct 21, 2018 10:52 PM
Reply to  BigB

A decent solution would be the Zionazi capital in West Jerusalem, and Palestine’s in the East. But the racist and terrorist Zionazi regime categorically rejects that, with its habitual arrogance and utter contempt for UNSC Resolutions by declaring ALL Jerusalem belongs to the Jews ONLY. And the Moslems, Christians, Palestinians etc can go to Hell, the central rationale of Talmudic Judaism and Zionazism. In other words, the Zionazis are still actively working for their own self-destruction, and the destruction of the rest of us.

kevin morris
kevin morris
Oct 18, 2018 4:23 PM

I’m surprised that anybody thinks this is newsworthy, since Australia usually follows America’s line and has done at least since the Vietnam war.

Since the mainstream media ignores the fact that many jews are anti zionist, it would be quite nice to see information on this site about Neturei Karta and other orthodox rabbis who support the Palestinian struggle. They give the lie to the argument that being anti zionist is antisemitic.

Hope
Hope
Oct 18, 2018 2:56 PM

What were they thinking? They weren’t thinking. This was a knee-jerk panic move to try to stave off defeat in Saturday’s by-election (which would in turn entail defeat for the one-seat-majority government).
They are politically as well as morally and intellectually bankrupt. Stupid, stupid, stupid – and dangerous, of course.

Hope
Hope
Oct 21, 2018 12:29 AM
Reply to  Hope

And it’s good to see that the desperate (and stupid) ploy didn’t work.

Gareth Walker
Gareth Walker
Oct 18, 2018 2:08 PM

77% of Aussies are racist.if your here, I’ll tell it to your faces. (The herd -77%)

kevin morris
kevin morris
Oct 18, 2018 4:25 PM
Reply to  Gareth Walker

We’re all the herd.

Jim Scott
Jim Scott
Oct 20, 2018 4:35 PM
Reply to  Gareth Walker

Where do you get your figures and what test has been applied. I ask because only 9% of voters go for the One Notion Party. I think the figure is closer to 10% than 77%. Most of those who are racists are over 60 and most young people are not racist.

Gareth Walker
Gareth Walker
Oct 21, 2018 1:25 PM
Reply to  Jim Scott

it’s a song by a band called the Herd, it’s called 77% refering to the 77% supported the stopping of the refugee ship Tampa.

jag37777
jag37777
Oct 20, 2018 10:02 PM
Reply to  Gareth Walker

81% of all statistics are bullshit.

George Cornell
George Cornell
Oct 26, 2018 9:45 AM
Reply to  jag37777

You mean ‘statistically significant’ is an oxymoron, 81% of the time?