Labor Pains

When the Albanese Government was elected, I thought they deserved a chance.  Not just because it is the responsibility of us all to respect democracy.  I said to myself that the vast majority of people go into politics with well-intentioned aspirations and for the right reasons. 

None of this has changed, but my opinion of our PM, and most of his colleagues now is that they are mostly well-intentioned people who are way out of their depth.  Predominantly it is an administration of career unionists and political hacks with no real world experience of sustaining a business or balancing socio-economic ideals with geopolitical realism.

I hope that this administration will not be re-elected.  Not because they are evil, but based on the poor decisions they have made. 

They deserve to lose Government.  For shifting bipartisan support of Israel by emboldening Israel’s enemies and positioning Australia to reward Palestinian terrorism with support for Palestinian statehood.  For winding back Australia’s recognition of Jerusalem as the eternal Capital of the Jewish people.  For allowing incendiary protests in our streets and on our University campus’ to the extent that they have become intimidating and unsafe places for Jews.  For displaying diplomatic double standards and demonstrating rank hypocrisy.  For not regulating and enforcing laws against racial vilification.  For not holding to account the vandals who graffiti war memorials, smash Jewish shopfronts and the offices of MP’s.  For allowing our media to broadcast lies and then repeating them.

There are other domestic reasons to end this Government that are not connected with their dismal record on foreign policy.  For example, by compromising Australia’s energy security by closing out sources of generation without first deploying the new infrastructure and transmission needed for net Zero.  For taxation changes that disincentivise success.  For Industrial Relations legislation that will suffocate many small businesses.  For poor immigration policy (temporary protection visas) and border control.  For environmental regulation that thwarts future infrastructure development by the mineral and resources sector.  For decimating the live sheep export industry.  For failing to contain inflation by over-spending and being unable to practically address cost of living concerns.  For spinning out a Future Made In Australia scam that directs public revenue to preferentially pre-selected partners and projects.  For not delivering productivity and sufficient economic growth.  For exacerbating the housing crisis.  For failing to amend The Voice referendum questions to secure bipartisan support.  For arrogance and hubris.  For failing to lead.  I could go on.

Although many interpret the Labor position on Palestinian recognition and their hostility towards supporting Israel’s right to self-defence as pandering to the political base of certain electorates, I believe this is too simplistic.

A broader look at the contemporary political left shows stronger leanings towards global geopolitical discourse, towards the UN and its agencies, and the so-called notion “international justice”.  At a personal level it could be easily concluded that Foreign Minister Penny Wong is auditioning for a future cushy job in the United Nations.  But within the absurdity of Israel’s treatment at the hands of these bodies is an immorality that is an anathema to the traditional values of Australia.  Far from embracing the UN and its corrupt NGO’s, our Government should reject them out of hand.

The World Court has now issued an obscene non-binding advisory opinion that Israel’s continued presence in Judea and Samaria (also known as the West Bank) is illegal and that it should come to an end “as rapidly as possible.”

Australia’s position has always been to support the obligations of the 1990’s Oslo accords (consistently breached by the Palestinians) which gives regard to Israel’s security concerns and was to culminate in direct negotiations for a settlement.  On the one hand our Government is saying this process still holds, on the other hand Penny Wong has issued a statement about the ICJ determination “respecting international law”.  They can’t have it both ways.  Our foreign minister’s confusion is ill-informed, as is the delusional notion that recognition of a Palestinian State would not propose a real existential threat to Israel.  A Gaza type massacre emanating from the hills of Judea would be catastrophic. 

So what can and should our Government do? 

The following would be a good start:

• Call out the ongoing Palestinian Authority’s official pay-for-slay policy which rewards terrorists for their murderous acts.  The policy has been extended to fund the terrorists that participated in the 7 October massacre.

• Stop demanding a ceasefire.  Hamas have been using innocent children as human shields as part of the global propaganda war for years, and by calling for a ceasefire our Government will continue to allow more innocent children to suffer.  A ceasefire would give immunity to Hamas allowing them to hide and rebuild.  Our Government would not advocate the ceasefire approach if the terrorism was directed towards Australia.  Israel has to be allowed to achieve its objective to defeat Hamas.

• Admit that the call on Israel to not enter Rafah was a mistake.   Our Government urged Israel not to go into Rafah as it could not relocate civilian populations.  In fact, Israel’s campaign in Rafah has resulted in the rescue of hostages, the elimination of terrorists, the discovery of transit tunnels to Egypt, and more Hamas command centres in UNRWA schools.  With the only civilian casualties being the clear fault of Hamas. 

• Stop quoting “Hamas Health Ministry” figures about the death toll in Gaza which have been discredited.  These figures include Hamas terrorists, deaths from other sources, deaths from misdirected Hamas weapons and Hamas crimes. 

• To balance out the sanctions imposed by Minister Penny Wong on Israeli settlers involved in violent attacks (often defensive actions, and always subject to justice by Israeli courts), also impose sanctions on the many thousands of Palestinians convicted of terrorist and violent attacks against Israelis.  In the process, apply greater due diligence and scrutiny to the many migrants being allowed from Gaza and Palestinian territories into Australia. 

• When Druze children playing soccer in their home town are murdered by a Hizbollah missile, immediately condemn this as a heinous war crime without requesting restraint from Israel.  Over the past nine months Hizbollah has fired more than 7,000 rockets, missiles and drones at Israel, resulting in 40 Israeli deaths and forcing 100,000 people from their homes. Does Minister Penny Wong seriously think that restraint is in order in the wake of this latest attack?

• Stop the diplomatic double standards. We didn’t call for the Ukraine to show restraint when bombed by Russia. Also, time to call in the Lebanese ambassador and dress him down.  Or does Australia only do that to the Israel Ambassador?

• Be prepared to confront historical reality.  Accept that Jews are indigenous to the land of Israel, and that we descend from Judea.  Admit that the Jewish people cannot occupy their own land.  Reverse the current support for moves towards Palestinian Statehood that would effectively see Judea and Samaria made “Judenrein”, whilst the rest of Israel maintains a multi-ethnic population. 

• Instead of surrendering to social discord, prevent people protesting in our streets, calling out slogans in support of terrorists and calling for the eradication of Israel.

• Seek responsible bilateral support to reform our electoral system and replace preferential voting with first past the post so that the risk of our country being held to ransom by fringe political activists holding the balance of power is mitigated.  In the process also mandate resignations from Parliament for elected representatives who abandon the party ticket upon which they were elected.

• Once again suspend the reinstated funding to UNRWA, whose schools have used our tax-payer dollars for obscene child abuse – educating children from birth to hate Jews and aspire towards Islamic martyrdom. 

• Recognise that the UN agencies and voting structures are dominated by non-democratic and anti-Israel countries, many of them despotic, who are waging diplomatic lawfare against Israel.  As an ally of Israel, stand against their politically motivated anti-Israel motions, resolutions and judgements.

• Put some regulations and controls on social media hate speech, and work globally to avoid miseducating an entire generation towards anti-Semitism based on distortion and lies.  Put some standards in place for the news media that require honest reporting and mechanisms to uphold those standards. 

• Stop BDS campaigns from being launched by any State and Local Government agencies and keep foreign affairs as the remit of Federation.  Stop industry bodies, unions, and social groups from their anti-Semitic efforts to ban Israel’s technology, science and commodities.

• Move in the strongest terms to stop the term “Genocide” being used and mainstreaming it as a socially acceptable allegation.  It is morally indefensible to accuse Israel of genocide and genocidal intent.  Similarly,  whether in the Parliament or on the streets, strengthen racial vilification laws to make it unacceptable to call Israel an apartheid state when 20% of its Citizens are non-Jewish will full civil rights. 

• PM Anthony Albanese should follow Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s example and visit Israel in solidarity with democracy. Unlike his Foreign Minister he should not snub the people of Israel and Australian Jews by failing to visit the sites of the October 7 massacre (no, we have not forgotten).

These are just a few of the things that could be done if Australia wants to preserve the cultural harmony previously enjoyed by its Jewish population, and to truly be an ally of Israel as it claims to be.

One of the many privileges of living in a democracy is the freedom of expression, the ability to express a view without fear of retribution.   Sadly, democracy in the USA has polarised to the extent that exercising such a right can now lead to social intimidation and cancellation.  Australia risks socially sliding in the same direction.  It is not overdramatic to say that the current culture wars promulgated by our current Government are rapidly leading to erosion of free speech and to the undoing of decades of multicultural harmony and cohesion. 

Our ability to criticise needs to exercised with responsibility.  This is foremostly achieved by focussing on the issues and not the personalities.  I repeat, I do not hate Mr Albanese and members of his administration, and respect their dedication to public service.  But after more that two years of performance their record stands clear for so many to call into question their competence in Government. 

Whether it is naiveite, ideology, or political opportunism, or a combination thereof, this Government has placed the wellbeing and national security of my people at risk, both here and in the Jewish homeland. 

At the next election I hope that that my local MP, Mr Patrick Gorman, does not have the chutzpah to knock on my door and ask for my vote. Please just look for the Mezuzzah and decide to passover.

That’s my opinion.  What’s yours?