Now try to find out how much both major political parties have been involved with taking bribes from the main zionist group in Australia making sure that support for Israel will be assured by the Australian federal government in perpetuity.
Who enjoys trips to Israel sponsored by this group AIJAC? Who pays and what politicians take advantage of this offer? Find out whether Julie Bishop, Bill Shorten and many others have had fabulous trips to the zionist apartheid "homeland".
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In the following article I have put references to items relating to Israel, Jewish organisations or zionists in italics - red-jos
List of overseas trips and hospitality accepted by Federal MPs
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TONY ABBOTT, LIB, NSW
July 2008: Travel to Israel for six days as guest of Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.
September 2008: Travel with wife to Hawaii as guests of the Australia-America Leadership Dialogue to attend conference.
KEVIN ANDREWS, LIB, VIC
2008: Participated in international round table conference at Heritage Foundation in Washington DC. Accommodation provided by Heritage Foundation.
BOB BALDWIN, LIB, NSW
Jan 27- Feb 1, 2008: visited Beijing and Nanchang, China, as guest of AFFO Pty Ltd.
Feb 26-Mar 9, 2009: travel to beijing and Shanghai as guest of Australia International Trade Association.
ARCH BEVIS, ALP, QLD
July 1-4, 2008: Centre for Democratic Institutions paid for airfares and accommodation to attend meetings in Jakarta with Commission One of the Indonesian Parliament.
Sept 21-24, 2008: Australia-American Dialogue provided return airfare to Hawaii and 4 days accommodation for conference.
JULIE BISHOP, LIB, WA
Aug 19-23, 2008: Travel, accommodation, hospitality and tickets to Beijing Olympics provided by Channel Seven.
NICK CHAMPION, ALP, SA
2008: overseas travel to China and accommodation with Australian Political Exchange Council.
JASON CLARE, ALP, NSW
Sept 27-Oct 3, 2008: Travel to Japan as guest of Japanese Government.
Oct 29- Nov 6, 2008: Travel to China paid for by China-Australia Friendship Group of the National People's Congress.
Dec 13-20, 2008: Travel to Israel and accommodation as guest of Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.
PETER COSTELLO, LIB, VIC
June 2008: Australian American Leadership Dialogue paid for travel with wife to Washington.
Sept 2008: travel to United States and several days accommodation courtesy of the University of Virginia.
MICHAEL DANBY, ALP, VIC
2008: business class return fare to London and three nights accommodation for Human Rights North Korea conference.
2008: return business class flight Bangkok to Tel Aviv, five nights accommodation sponsored by Australia Israel Cultural Exchange.
2008: one-way business class flight Melbourne to Tokyo, two nights accommodation, sponsored by 2008 International Conference on Global Support for Democratization in China and Asia.
ALEXANDER DOWNER, LIB, SA
Mar 20-25, 2008: Travel to Taiwan to lead International Democratic Union election observers delegation.
April 6-16, 2008: Travel with wife to London paid for by Blue Oar Resources to speak at conference.
April 27-May 6, 2008: Travel to USA paid for by American Jewish Committee to receive award for diplomatic excellence.
June 23-July 2, 2008: Travel to US and UK for Australia American Leadership Dialogue and Haklayt and Co Ltd.
June 21-23, 2008: Travel to Auckland, NZ, to attend Israel Chamber of Commerce gala dinner as guest speaker. Paid for by Zionist Federation of NZ in conjunction with NZ Israel Trade Association.
PETER DUTTON, LIB, QLD
July 10-17, 2008: Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council trip to Israel, business airfares and accommodation.
JENNIE GEORGE, ALP, NSW
Oct 29-Nov 6, 2008: Travel to China as guest China-Australia Friendship Group of the National Peoples Congress.
SHARON GRIERSON, ALP, NSW
Mar 19-27, 2008: Business class travel, hospitality and accommodation from Sydney to Vientiane, Laos, provide by World Bank Institute. Estimated value $8000.
JOE HOCKEY, LIB, NSW
2008: Return air tickets and accommodation to Cebu, Philippines from United Nations World Tourism Organisation.
KAY HULL, NAT, NSW
Feb 29-Mar 2, 2008: Economy-class travel to Taipei, Taiwan, to attend hearing on Asia's Future in a Hotter World at inter-parliamentary hearing on climate, energy and forests in Asia. Accommodation and travel paid for by the E Parliament.
May 17-22, 2008: Travel, accommodation and meals to Taiwan paid for by Taiwan Government.
GREG HUNT, LIB, VIC
2008: Return economy fare to NZ (cost $724) plus 2 nights accommodation ($400) paid for by Pure Fresh, NZ to address NZ Nationals Conference.
STEVE IRONS, LIB, WA
Oct 29-Nov 6, 2008: trip to China paid for by China Australia Friendship Group of the National People's Congress. host paid for internal airfares, meals, accommodation.
MICHAEL JOHNSON, LIB, QLD
Dec 2000: Part of Jetstar return flight to Bali paid for by Australia China Development Association and part paid for by World Future Council. Three nights accommodation in Bali at Alilia Hotel paid for by Australia China Development Council.
Feb 28-Mar 3, 2008: Flights and Accommodation for trip to Phuket, Thailand, to attend Asia Society's Young Leaders Conference. $US1200 paid for by Asia Society, rest paid for by the Australia-China Development Association.
Feb 23-27, 2008: Flights and accommodation to India paid for by Australia-China Development Association.
Mar 4-10, 2008: Flights and 4 nights accommodation to USA for Johnson, wife and son paid for by Mineralogy.
April 9-16, 2008: airfares and accommodation to attend Boao Forum for Asia, paid for by Boao Forum for Asia.
May 17, 2008: Airfare Sydney to Egypt paid for by Australia-China Development Association.
June 26-July 8, 2008: Return airfares Brisbane to Vienna and 5 nights accommodation paid for by World Justice Program secretariat.
June 27-30, 2008: Return airfares Singapore to Mongolia and 3 nights accommodation paid for by Petro Matad Group and Major Drilling Group International.
July 11-17, 2008: Return airfares Brisbane to Beijing, paid for by Kumar Group of companies, 6 nights accommodation in Beijing paid for by iMMedian Pty Ltd.
July 23-31, 2008: Return airfares Brisbane to NZ and 9 nights accommodation paid for by Auspol.
Sept 7-11, 2008: Return flights to Singapore paid for by Australia-China Development Association.
2008: Return airfare Brisbane to Tibet paid for by SCIO Chinese Government and three nights accommodation in Tibet.
2008: Return airfare Aust-China for wife and son paid for by Australia-China Development Association and 4 nights accommodation.
MICHAEL KEENAN, LIB, WA
July 10-16, 2008: Travel to Israel guest of Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council. Business class airfare, accommodation.
RICHARD MARLES, ALP, VIC
Apr 9-13, 2008: Accommodation for six nights as one of 11 people in a rented house in Augusta, Georgia, USA, as guest of Golf Australia. Ticket to US Masters golf tournament Apr 9-13 provided by Stuart Appleby through Golf Australia.
JUDI MOYLAN, LIB, WA
- Mar 30-April 2, 2008: Two nights accommodation in New Zealand (cost $405) and registration fee of $700 for International Diabetes Federation Western Pacific Congress paid for by Diabetes New Zealand.
- June 1-13, 2008: KCI Medical Group and Novo Nordisk paid for flights and accommodation on trip to Helsinki to attend World Congress on the Prevention of Diabetes and its Complications and then flight to Berlin to address members of the Bundestag on the Australian parliamentary diabetes support group.
- 2008: trip to Rome, Italy, sponsored by Novo Nordisk.
SHAYNE NEUMAN, ALP, QLD
- Dec 13-20, 2008: Travel to Israel guest of Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.
JULIE OWENS, ALP, NSW:
2008: visit to China as guest of government.
2008: visit to Korea funded by Korea Foundation (chair of Australian/Korea parliamentary friendship group).
MELISSA PARKE, ALP, WA
Feb 15-18, 2009: Trip to Jakarta costing $1500 from Parliamentarians for Global Action to attend meeting on the International Criminal Court.
CHRIS PEARCE, LIB, VIC
May 17-24, 2008: With wife guests of Taiwanese Govt for presidential inauguration ceremony.
CHRISTOPHER PYNE, LIB, SA
June 2008: International Council on Alcohol Policy, airfare and accommodation in Singapore for 2 nights.
August 2008: travel and accommodation to Hong Kong courtesy National Democratic Institute of USA.
BERNIE RIPOLL, ALP, QLD
July 5-9, 2008: Travel to China as part of delegation from the City of Ipswich, travel and accommodation paid for by ATM World Travel.
Jan 5-10, 2009: Travel to Chennai, India, paid for by Dr V.R.S. Sampath, president of Madras Development Society, who organised conference, and sponsored travel and accommodation.
AMANDA RISHWORTH, ALP, SA
- Oct 29-Nov 6, 2008: trip to China as guest of China-Aust Friendship Group of the National Peoples Congress.
ANDREW ROBB, VIC, LIB:
Jan 12-20, 2008: sponsored airfares and accommodation from Australian American Leadership Dialogue to attend West Coast Leadership Dialogue in USA.
June 22-30, 2008: Australian American leadership Dialogue visit to USA, business class fares, accommodation.
July 10-17, 2008: Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council trip to Israel, business class fares, accommodation.
STUART ROBERT, LIB, QLD
2008: economy flight Brisbane to Entebbe (Uganda) return paid for by Watoto Australia.
PHILIP RUDDOCK, LIB, NSW
Nov 23-25, 2008: seminar in Bangkok, Thailand, conducted by National Assembly of Thailand and King Prajadhipok's Institute with Inter-Parliamentary Union.
LUKE SIMPKINS, LIB, WA
Oct-Nov, 2008: Six days accommodation in China provided by National Peoples Congress and two internal flights and 15 meals.
MIKE SYMOND, ALP, VIC
Oct 29-Nov 6, 2008: China Aust Friendship Group of the National Peoples Congress trip to China, internal flights, accommodation and meals.
JIM TURNOUR, ALP, QLD
Oct 29-Nov 6, 2008: China Aust Friendship Group of the National Peoples Congress trip to China, internal flights, accommodation and meals.
MARK VAILE, NSW, NAT
Feb 16-19, 2008: Trip to Singapore to attend airshow and aviation leadership summit. Travel and accommodation paid for by Singapore Government.
Mar 1-6, 2008: travel to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bharain and Doha travel and accommodation paid for by Servcorp. Acting as consultant for the company.
May 6-9, 2008: travel to Singapore, travel and accommodation paid for by Servcorp.
July 13-19, 2008: travel to Dubai and Abu Dhabi paid for by Servcorp acting as consultant.
MAL WASHER, LIB, WA:
May 17-24, 2008: With wife, guests of Taiwanese Govt as part of delegation visiting for presidential inauguration ceremony. Travel and accommodation.
JASON WOOD, LIB, VIC
2008: Trip to Israel paid for by Australian Institute of Jewish Affairs Council.
2008: Trip to Taiwan, as guest of Taiwan Government.
SENATE
ERIC ABETZ, LIB, TAS
April 10-17: With wife, guests of Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office trip to Taiwan and accommodation.
MARK ARBIB, ALP, NSW
June/July, 2008: trip to Washington DC for Australia America Dialogue conference, accommodation and return Qantas business class fare.
Jan 3-10, 2009: Awarded 28th Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship - first class airfares from Singapore Airlines, accommodation for a week at Shangri-La, meals.
GUY BARNETT, LIB, TAS
Feb 19-26: Business class airfare Canberra to Vienna and return to Launceston. accommodation 4 nights, fee of 1325 Euro to speak at Vienna School of Clinical Research, paid for by VSCR.
ANDREW BARTLETT, DEM, QLD
- Feb 19-24, 2008: Return flight to Taipei and hospitality $4550 paid by CIPFG-Taiwan to attend human rights meeting as keynote speaker.
CORY BERNARDI, LIB, SA
2008: travel and costs to Israel paid for by Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.
Mar 1-7, 2008: Young Political Leaders Exchange program trip to Japan. Hospitality and travel.
MARK BISHOP, ALP, WA
2008: airfares and accommodation for trip to Taiwan.
Dec 13-20, 2008: trip to Israel with Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.
DAVID BUSHBY, LIB, TAS
April 10-17: guest of Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office trip to Taiwan and accommodation.
RICHARD COLEBECK, LIB, TAS:
Aug 24-30, 2008: with spouse, travel to Taiwan paid for by Taiwan Government.
JACINTA COLLINS, ALP, VIC
Dec 13-20, 2008: trip to Israel with Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.
MATHIAS CORMANN, LIB, WA:
April 10-17: With fiance guest of Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office trip to Taiwan and accommodation.
Oct 28-Nov 3, 2008: Australian Political Exchange Council delegation to Vietnam as guest of Vietnam International Youth Cooperation Development Centre.
CHRIS ELLISON, LIB, WA
April 10-14, 2008: With wife, guest of Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office trip to Taiwan and accommodation.
MICHAEL FORSHAW, ALP, NSW
April 22-28, 2008: Business class airfares on China Southern Airlines from Australia to China, acommodation and hospitality paid for by Chinatown Comunications Pty Ltd, 388 Sussex St, Sydney.
- June 20-28, 2008: trip to Israel and Palestine. Accommodation and hospitality paid for by Australian Israel Cultural Exchange Ltd and business class return airfare from Bangkok to Tel Aviv return partly paid for by AICE.
- July 1-6, 2008: delegation to Jakarta, business class airfare from Perth to Jakarta paid for by Centre for Democratic Institutions on July 1 and return to Sydney on July 6 plus 3 nights hotel accommodation and meals.
STEPHEN HUTCHINS, ALP, NSW
May 17-24, 2008: trip to Taiwan paid for by Government of Taiwan and accommodation for inauguration of president.
Aug 21-26, 2008: trip to China, travel and hospitality costs paid for by Chinese government to gain first hand experience of economic, social and political ties.
DAVID JOHNSTON, LIB, WA
July 10-17, 2008: trip to Israel paid for by Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.
Aug 22, 2008: travel between Los Angeles and Las Vegas paid for by Worley Parsons to visit to solar energy station.
KATE LUNDY, ALP, ACT
Oct 29-Nov 5, 2008: China-Aust Parliamentary Group of the National People's Congress delegation to China, meals, accommodation and Chinese domestic fares.
BRETT MASON, LIB, QLD
June 20-27, 2008: Travel and hospitality to Israel paid for by Australia Israel Cultural Exchange.
Aug 7-12, 2008: Travel and hospitality to Taiwan paid for by Taipei economic and cultural office to enhance education links.
CHRISTINE MILNE, GRN, TAS
Dec 7-15, 2007: return airfare paid by International Union for the Conservation of Nature for travel Hobart to Bali.
March 2008: airfare paid by International Union for the Conservation of Nature for travel to Geneva, Switzerland.
Sept/Oct 2008: airfare paid by International Union for the Conservation of Nature for travel to Barcelona.
* Senator Milne is IUCN vice president and airfares paid for global council meetings twice a year.
CLAIRE MOORE, ALP, QLD
Dec 13-14, 2008: Asian forum of Parliamentarians on population and development general assembly, Hanoi, Vietnam. Travel $2293, 3 nights accommodation, total cost $2853.
KERRY NETTLE, GRN, NSW
May 25-29, 2008: Asian Population and Development Association paid for travel and hospitality to Kuala Lumpur for conference.
MARISE PAYNE, LIB, NSW
Sept 20-24, 2008: Australian American Leadership Dialogue return airfare Sydney to Honolulu and 5 nights accommodation in Honolulu.
KAY PATTERSON, LIB, VIC
March 22-27, 2008: Economy fare on Thai Airlines from Melbourne to Vientiane return and accommodation at $US30 a night paid for by Interplast Australia and New Zealand of which Patterson is a director and board member.
Apr 14-18, 2008: Centre for Democratic Institutions paid for economy SkyAir flight from Brisbane to Honiara with upgrade on return flight and accommodation at King Solomon Hotel Honiara.
HELEN POLLEY, ALP, TAS
2009: Travel to Israel paid for by Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.
GLENN STERLE ALP, WA
April 3-20, 2008: Delegation to European Institutions. Qantas upgrade to first class on flight from Singapore to London on April 3-4.
Information based on disclosure by MPs.
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John Pilger: The power and significance of the documentary
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Why should Israel’s lobby have different standards?
Forget China, no country has
interfered, spied and endangered Australia’s security, sovereignty and
the integrity of its national institutions more than Israel and its
powerful lobbyists, writes former Palestinian Ambassador Ali Kazak.
ASIO's director-general Duncan Lewis expressed concerns recently in his agency's annual report about foreign interference.
Mr Lewis said over the past year:
While no country was mentioned in the report, there has been a hint of concern about Russian and Chinese activities. This is a contrast with Canberra’s relaxed approach and appeasement of the most powerful lobby on behalf of a foreign government: Australia’s Israel lobby.
There is nothing ASIO suggests any Chinese lobby of doing that the Israeli lobby has not been doing for over 30 years. Any Chinese lobby is child’s play in contrast to the well-established Israeli lobby.
No country has more interfered, spied and endangered Australia’s security, sovereignty and the integrity of its national institutions than Israel and its powerful lobby.
By their own admission, the lobby receives funds from Israeli institutions, coordinates and cooperates with the Israeli government and embassy, and has 'established a long tradition of strong public advocacy on behalf of Israel' to shape the opinion of members of the Australian public, media organisations and government officials in order to advance Israel’s own political objectives.
Consecutive Liberal and Labor governments have been selling Australia’s foreign policy to Israel for decades, with huge campaign donations and free trips for MPs, officials, staffers and union officials.
There is no moral, commercial or national strategic interest to justify Australia’s unconditional support of the position of the Netanyahu cabinet. Nor is there a large “Jewish vote”. The last census saw the Jewish population fall to just 91,022. Public opinion surveys for more than ten years repeatedly show over 70 pe rcent support for Australia’s recognition of Palestine. So why the biased policy towards Israel?
The answer is the influence on the government and Opposition’s Middle East policies of a well-organised Israeli-linked lobby, which works for a foreign government.
Australian companies and businessmen, some of whom are both Israeli and Australian nationals, finance the Israeli-linked lobby groups. These include the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) and the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA). They also donate money to both Labor and Liberal parties. On occasions, threats were made to withhold donations when there were hints of support for Palestine.
The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) revealed in November 2012 that AIJAC, through its Rambam Israel Fellowship Program, has sponsored free trips to Israel for
Lipski wrote:
On 20 August 1993, Helene Teichmann wrote in AJN that the Israeli Prime Minister
Former Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Gareth Evans criticized Israel’s human rights records during a visit to Israel in 1992 and echoed U.S. support for General Assembly Resolution 194, which calls for the repatriation of the Palestinian refugees forced out of their homeland in 1948. The Israel lobby went into overdrive. The Australian newspaper reported, on 13 June 1992, the president of the ECAJ Leslie Caplan had denounced Evans in an article headlined ‘Jewish community pressures Evans on criticism of Israel’.
Caplan said:
When Labor MPs criticized Israel’s violations of Palestinian human rights in 2003, there was the threat of withdrawing Jewish financial support to Labor.
The former Federal Labor MP Julia Irwin said in The Australian:
For years, the Australian media has been reporting Israel’s spying activities, forging Australian and New Zealand passports, and recruiting Australians from the Jewish community to its army and spy agencies.
For example, New Zealand’s security agency arrested two Mossad agents in mid-2004 while attempting to obtain New Zealand passports under false names, Mossad’s spy cell operated under the nose of ASIO from its headquarters in Sydney, which was the base for its spying activities in Australasia for more than ten years.
Mossad used the forged Australian passports to spy in other countries and carry out the assassination of a Palestinian Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Mabhoh in Dubai, UAE, a country friendly to Australia. This was a serious violation of Australia’s sovereignty and the undermining of international confidence in Australia’s passports.
Imagine the front page hysteria if Chinese spies had ever forged Australian passports to carry out a targeted assassination in a third country with which Australia had cordial relations. Nothing remotely as serious and specific was uncovered by the recent Four Corners-Fairfax attempt, assisted by ASIO, to find Chinese intrusion on Australian sovereignty.
In an article in the SMH on 26 February 2010, Peter Hartcher reported an Australian official saying
Attorney-General George Brandis announced recently that the Government is developing new legislation to require registration of foreign agents in Australia.
This would immediately be applicable to Israel and its powerful lobby. ASIO too should be required to oversight the most powerful lobby for a foreign government at work in Australia.
Substitute the words Israel, Jewish and Zionist Organisation for China, Chinese and the Communist Party, and imagine if China forged Australian passports, and used them to spy on other countries and carry out assassinations in friendly countries. Then think again about how Australia might have reacted — and how, indeed, it should react.
Ali Kazak is a former Palestinian ambassador.
ASIO's director-general Duncan Lewis expressed concerns recently in his agency's annual report about foreign interference.
Mr Lewis said over the past year:
We identified foreign powers clandestinely seeking to shape the opinion of members of the Australian public, media organisations and government officials in order to advance their country's own political objectives.
These activities, undertaken covertly to obscure the role of foreign governments, represent a threat to our sovereignty, the integrity of our national institutions, and the exercise of our citizens' rights.
While no country was mentioned in the report, there has been a hint of concern about Russian and Chinese activities. This is a contrast with Canberra’s relaxed approach and appeasement of the most powerful lobby on behalf of a foreign government: Australia’s Israel lobby.
There is nothing ASIO suggests any Chinese lobby of doing that the Israeli lobby has not been doing for over 30 years. Any Chinese lobby is child’s play in contrast to the well-established Israeli lobby.
No country has more interfered, spied and endangered Australia’s security, sovereignty and the integrity of its national institutions than Israel and its powerful lobby.
By their own admission, the lobby receives funds from Israeli institutions, coordinates and cooperates with the Israeli government and embassy, and has 'established a long tradition of strong public advocacy on behalf of Israel' to shape the opinion of members of the Australian public, media organisations and government officials in order to advance Israel’s own political objectives.
Consecutive Liberal and Labor governments have been selling Australia’s foreign policy to Israel for decades, with huge campaign donations and free trips for MPs, officials, staffers and union officials.
There is no moral, commercial or national strategic interest to justify Australia’s unconditional support of the position of the Netanyahu cabinet. Nor is there a large “Jewish vote”. The last census saw the Jewish population fall to just 91,022. Public opinion surveys for more than ten years repeatedly show over 70 pe rcent support for Australia’s recognition of Palestine. So why the biased policy towards Israel?
The answer is the influence on the government and Opposition’s Middle East policies of a well-organised Israeli-linked lobby, which works for a foreign government.
Australian companies and businessmen, some of whom are both Israeli and Australian nationals, finance the Israeli-linked lobby groups. These include the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) and the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA). They also donate money to both Labor and Liberal parties. On occasions, threats were made to withhold donations when there were hints of support for Palestine.
The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) revealed in November 2012 that AIJAC, through its Rambam Israel Fellowship Program, has sponsored free trips to Israel for
'... more than 400 political leaders – including Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott – party advisers, public servants and university students. A separate trip is also run for journalists... 'As far back as 9 August 1985, businessman Mark Leibler, as president of the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA), said in the Australian Jewish News (AJN):
'We are generally improving our areas of influence. … and our directors interact fairly regularly with politicians, editors and journalists on a national scale and are in contact with officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The [Zionist] Federation works in close cooperation with the Israel Embassy in Canberra. We ought to be, and are the leading force in the community on matters of Israel and Zionism.'Journalist Sam Lipski wrote about lobbying for Israel in an article on the AJN on 13 August 1993. He confirmed the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) and ZFA were linked with the Israeli Government and work on its behalf.
Lipski wrote:
'More or less since the 1982 Lebanon War, the ECAJ and the ZFA allowed, and the Likud government encouraged, a blurring of the roles between the ECAJ/ZFA and the Israeli Embassy. These two bodies became quasi-diplomatic agencies, often filling the vacuum created by an undermanned and remote Israel embassy.'Imagine for a moment the angst of ASIO if a Chinese community leader had referred to Chinese associations in Australia becoming “quasi diplomatic agencies” to help the understaffed Chinese embassy.
On 20 August 1993, Helene Teichmann wrote in AJN that the Israeli Prime Minister
'…[Yitzhak] Rabin has praised the ZFA’s work and there has never been an indication from any Israeli government, publicly or privately, that the ZFA is not doing what is good for Israel and our community or that some other organ could do better. Nor does the ZFA act in splendid isolation. The Israeli Embassy and the Federation consult closely and completely agree as to their respective roles.'The SMH reported Mark Leibler on 3 July 1993 as revealing that
“ZFA receives funds from the Jewish Agency in Israel.”In the Jerusalem Post on 24 June 2010, Isi Leibler wrote:
'Jewish leaders have established a long tradition of strong public advocacy on behalf of Israel, and they can take much of the credit for the fact that successive governments have maintained a strong bipartisan support for Israel.'One case study says it all.
Former Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Gareth Evans criticized Israel’s human rights records during a visit to Israel in 1992 and echoed U.S. support for General Assembly Resolution 194, which calls for the repatriation of the Palestinian refugees forced out of their homeland in 1948. The Israel lobby went into overdrive. The Australian newspaper reported, on 13 June 1992, the president of the ECAJ Leslie Caplan had denounced Evans in an article headlined ‘Jewish community pressures Evans on criticism of Israel’.
Caplan said:
"Unless the Government stepped back from the views expressed by Senator Evans, it would cost the ALP significant Jewish support at the next federal election."And Jewish MP Barry Cohen said:
“... the Jewish community, particularly in Melbourne and Sydney, had always been a strong source of ideological and financial support for the ALP. That will be weakened whenever a government appears to be antagonistic towards the State of Israel.”An article in The Bulletin on 4 August 1992, entitled ‘ALP can’t count on Jewish support’, reported ECAJ’s new president, Jeremy Jones, saying
“It is not so much the Jewish vote that matters – there are fewer than 100,000 Jews in Australia – but rather the vast financial resources of the community’s wealthier members.”Imagine if a Chinese community leader had said: It’s not the number of Chinese voters in Australia that counts but rather the vast finances of its wealthier members.
When Labor MPs criticized Israel’s violations of Palestinian human rights in 2003, there was the threat of withdrawing Jewish financial support to Labor.
The former Federal Labor MP Julia Irwin said in The Australian:
"The threat to withdraw financial support for the ALP because of perceived anti-Israel 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.”The late Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, said in an article ‘The isolation of Hamas is impeding peace’, in The Age (11/8/09):
“Fear of criticism from the Jewish lobby in Australia has so far prevented Australian governments taking effective action.”As a result of the Israeli lobby’s influence, Australia has joined a group of banana republics such as Micronesia, Costa Rica, Palau and the Marshall Islands, continuously opposing UN resolutions condemning Israel’s occupation, violations of international law and human rights, racial discrimination, the building of Jewish colonies and the Apartheid Wall, which further isolates Australia from the international community at the UN and other international forums.
For years, the Australian media has been reporting Israel’s spying activities, forging Australian and New Zealand passports, and recruiting Australians from the Jewish community to its army and spy agencies.
For example, New Zealand’s security agency arrested two Mossad agents in mid-2004 while attempting to obtain New Zealand passports under false names, Mossad’s spy cell operated under the nose of ASIO from its headquarters in Sydney, which was the base for its spying activities in Australasia for more than ten years.
Mossad used the forged Australian passports to spy in other countries and carry out the assassination of a Palestinian Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Mabhoh in Dubai, UAE, a country friendly to Australia. This was a serious violation of Australia’s sovereignty and the undermining of international confidence in Australia’s passports.
Imagine the front page hysteria if Chinese spies had ever forged Australian passports to carry out a targeted assassination in a third country with which Australia had cordial relations. Nothing remotely as serious and specific was uncovered by the recent Four Corners-Fairfax attempt, assisted by ASIO, to find Chinese intrusion on Australian sovereignty.
In an article in the SMH on 26 February 2010, Peter Hartcher reported an Australian official saying
“... the Israeli secret service had probably calculated that, even if it were caught using forged Australian passports, Canberra would not retaliate. It wouldn’t matter whether it was John Howard or Kevin Rudd or Tony Abbott in the prime minister’s chair… [the Israelis] know they’ve got us by the balls… partly because of the Israel lobby.”Allowing Israel and its lobby to use their financial donations, interfere, spy and endanger Australia’s security, sovereignty and the integrity of its national institutions with impunity, and without being accountable is a clear indication of the dangerous level of influence they have been allowed to get to in Australia, which makes the Government and the security agencies so weak and fearful; they are becoming the untouchable Holly Cow no matter what they do.
Attorney-General George Brandis announced recently that the Government is developing new legislation to require registration of foreign agents in Australia.
This would immediately be applicable to Israel and its powerful lobby. ASIO too should be required to oversight the most powerful lobby for a foreign government at work in Australia.
Substitute the words Israel, Jewish and Zionist Organisation for China, Chinese and the Communist Party, and imagine if China forged Australian passports, and used them to spy on other countries and carry out assassinations in friendly countries. Then think again about how Australia might have reacted — and how, indeed, it should react.
Ali Kazak is a former Palestinian ambassador.
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