As Gaza burns Australian Premiers celebrate Israel's Independence Day
As Gaza burns Australian Premiers celebrate Israel's Independence Day
Something is VERY wrong here ....
Synopsis
Monday 13th May is celebrated by Israel as Yom Ha'atzmaut their day of independence.
Across Australia in glittering functions attended by State and Federal politicians the event is celebrated annually.
You might think this year there would be some sensitivities about this.
Not a bit.
It shows the disgusting hypocrisy of our politicians in the face of the crisis - compromised by a network of “Friends of Israel” parliamentary groups for individual MPs, organisational pro-Israeli lobby at the Government level and funded trips to Israel for Individual MPs.
You’d think with this being so transparent they would make excuses this year. Far from it.
What would make someone so unquestioningly loyal to another state in the face of a transparent genocide? Something is very wrong here..
Video Synopsis
⚠️ NOTE: ⚡️ LIVE Article: As with most Sleekit Scotsman articles - this will be updated post date of original publication with an edit history below.
This reflects the addition of new information as it comes to light and is intended to keep the article relevant, up to date and more importantly a comprehensive reference with quoted public sources for pro-Palestine advocates to build on.
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‼️Article Updated
Article updated: Fri 7th June (Sleekit Scotsman ☮️🏴 articles are updated periodically to add latest information on the subject of the article for relevance)
Fri 7th June: Added section “Holding your State and Federal MPs to account”
2nd June: Added contents page hyperlinks post-publication for easier navigation, additional sections on Friends of Israel Parliamentary groups and link to more in-depth article, section on Nova Peris and Senator Fatima Payman.
Contents
Holding your local State and Federal MPs to account
INTRODUCTION
Monday 13th May is celebrated by Israel as Yom Ha'atzmaut their day of independence.
Across Australia in glittering functions attended by State and Federal politicians the event is celebrated annually.
You might think this year there would be some sensitivities about this.
Not a bit.
It shows the disgusting hypocrisy of our politicians in the face of the crisis - compromised by a network of “Friends of Israel” parliamentary groups for individual MPs, organisational pro-Israeli lobby at the Government level and funded trips to Israel for Individual MPs.
You’d think with this being so transparent they would make excuses this year. Far from it.
How many Friends of Israel groups are there?
Across Federal Parliament and just two of the State Parliaments - 11 and counting.
Putting aside for a second current conflict and politics - how does anyone have any time?!
Most corporate workers groan when another special interest group is created at work - which means more meetings and more time dedicated to what might be a wonderful endeavour - but takes up from … you know, what you’re paid to do.
And so it is here - but 11 different groups across the Parliaments?
First thought why are they giving up so much time to multiple organisations for a foreign state?
Second thought… is this appropriate in the current climate - where the response of politicians to a humanitarian crisis seems completely illogical? Was it ever appropriate?
This article looks at the different groups and interested parties.
As I began writing about The Australian Federal Parliament “Friends of Israel” (FOI) group in response to the influence of similar groups in the UK with the upcoming election - I began noticing more … and more … and more…. FOI political groups - overlapping.
There a no member lists short of organisers briefly mentioned on the parliamentary website, and certainly no attendees, agendas or minutes. How do you determine appropriateness?
But then - that’s the point.
See below for an article with a deeper dive into the pro-Israeli lobby in Australia including the people behind the “Friends of Israel” groups:
Australian Pro-Israeli Lobby: Modus Operandi
Only some of the “Friends of Israel” Events are publicly mentioned - the annual huge Israel Independence Day galas that senior politicians attend and speak at are telling.
The speeches aren’t just pork-barrelling to an electorate - they are deep ideological commitments to Israel. Which is worrying when you are asked to make a humanitarian choice which should override politics - ideology is unshakeable.
Let’s look at the events and different groups in each Parliament in turn.
FEDERAL PARLIAMENT
This year the focus was on large State events - but I note the previous year there was a large State function in Canberra for the 75th event.1
Speaking at the function were Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Notably Marles was taken to Israel on AIJAC funded trips twice in 2010 and 2016, and Dutton attended a 2008 AIJAC funded trip with Tony Abbott.
Federal Parliament Friends of Israel Groups
Six different groups and an interesting UK Friends of Israel connection. The below are just the organisers - the membership is not listed.
To read more on the Friends of Israel groups click here for a broader article on political influence in Australia.
Federal Members of Parliament who have taken paid flights to Israel
In addition to the multiple “friends of Israel” groups, earlier cultivation of MPs is another part of the story. These are just the sitting MPs and Senators who have taken flights - there are many more former - and upcoming now. The focus is clearly on the highest levels of Government.
NSW STATE PARLIAMENT
In Sydney there was a reception for the 76th Anniversary in the Shangri-La Hotel hosted by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Zionist Federation of Australia and the Zionist Council of NSW.
NSW Premier Chris Minns spoke at the event and quoted the first Israel Prime Minister with reference to the hostages:
“But as David Ben-Gurion once said, in Israel, anyone who doesn’t believe in miracles is not a realist.”
[the “rise in antisemitism locally”] … “is one of the greatest tragedies of the past eight months”
It is unclear if he touched once on the plight of the Palestinians.
Minns was one of the attendees on the first AIJAC funded trip to Israel back in 2003 with Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten amongst others. His reaction in support of Israel during the crisis - including a decision to immediately light up the Opera House sails in the colours of the Israel flag - and public statements in cracking down on pro-Palestine protests have been one-sided to say the least.
Minns’s Reaction to the Gaza Crisis
Late last year - on the strength of alleged chants heard at the Opera House - he changed the Hate Crimes Law2 and then rebuked a minister Stephen Lawrence who suggested that the Premier should wait until the police had completed their investigations into what was said.3
Lawrence was correct.
The police subsequently confirmed that the original words were not heard.4 This means that the extremist group originally circulating the footage had falsely captioned it with a much more offensive Holocaust-invoking antisemitic chant which went viral with far-reaching consequences including unapologetic leverage by the pro-Israeli lobby representing Australia in global forums.
See article below on the impact of leveraging the false footage:
Sydney Opera House Audio FALSELY-CAPTIONED
In March 2024 NSW Police forcefully arrested 3 peaceful protestors at a Sydney Rally who had red food-dye on their hands. Their heavy handed approach saw the three thrown in jail and charged with assaulting a police officer and reckless damage for accidentally spilling food dye on him during the scuffle.5
When one of Minn’s MPs Anthony D’Adam made a speech in the Legislative Council criticising the police heavy-handed action and lamenting the right to protest and curtailing people’s basic civil liberties - Minns immediately sacked him.6
📺 Here is D’Adam’s speech in Parliament from his FB page (I chatted with him at the Sydney rally on 2 June a week after his dismissal - he was fairly philosophical about it).
And here’s a nice internal memo from the Premier’s Department to Public Servants reminding them to not voice their opinions after 300 other public servants signed an open letter demanding the Government stop supplying Israel:7
Other Attendees
Also attending were NSW Opposition leader David Speakman, Israeli Ambassador Amir Maimon and Nova Peris, a Aboriginal public figure who broke with her community in solidarity with Palestine and spoke out for Israel to great anger in her community.8 She also recently took a trip to Israel funded by AIJAC.
2022 74th Anniversary Dinner
In 2022 whilst in opposition Minns also attended and spoke at the occasion with Premier Dominic Perrottet.9
Minns speech was listed on the Australia Israel Labor Dialogue website.10
It is clear Chris Minns is no friend of the Palestinian cause - and has unwavering bias and a blinkered approach to events in Gaza through his associations cultivated for more than 20 years.
A few months before Minns sacked D’Adam Crikey wrote an article decrying his pro-Israel bias.11 In the same breath as preventing his MPs from talking about Israel he consistently went on the record himself leading up to this year’s glittering May Gala Event.
NSW State Parliament Friends of Israel Groups
Three different groups. The below are just the organisers - the membership is not listed (except unusually in Hansard for the Bipartisan group in 202312).
To read more on the Friends of Israel groups click here for a broader article on political influence in Australia.
NSW State Members of Parliament who have taken paid flights to Israel
In addition to the multiple “friends of Israel” groups in State Parliament - as with Federal, earlier cultivation of MPs is another part of the story.
These are just the sitting MPs and MLC who have taken flights - there are many more former - and upcoming now. As with Federal, the focus is on the highest levels of Government.
VICTORIAN STATE PARLIAMENT
I can’t comment on the behaviour of VIC Premier in relation to NSW Premier Chris Minns as I haven’t been following VIC crack downs on protestors as closely. But I imagine for the State hosting the epicentre of the pro-Israeli lobby - the treatment would be just as severe and one-sided.
On 30th May 2024 Zionism Victoria hosted the annual Friends of Israel Parliamentary function for the 76th Anniversary of the State of Israel co-hosting with:
Victorian Parliament Friends of Israel
Also in attendance were the VIC Liberals leader John Pesutto and Labor Premier Jacinta Allan.
Speeches were made, the anthem of Israel was played, prayers were given for Israel, and for the hostages and 122 flowers with messages for the hostages were handed to those in attendance.
And the next day Premier Allan was harshly criticised … because she did not raise a toast to Israel.13
VIC State Parliament Friends of Israel Groups
Two different groups (the below are just the organisers - the membership is not listed):
To read more on the Friends of Israel groups click here for a broader article on political influence in Australia.
What is happening here?
The formal Parliamentary event in Victoria was just one of the parliamentary events commemorating Israel’s founding day. EVERY year - together with the other events across a myriad of Jewish organisations and groups - for a tiny population of 0.45% of Australia, just under 100,000.
Attended by multiple Australian politicians, backslapping, sipping drinks, giving speeches and agreeing how great Israel is and how just their cause is.
And with all this going on - and 35,000 Palestinians dead by contrast:
NOT ONE Australian politician from the Labor or Liberal parties has attended a single event in support of the Palestinians
Nor have any members of the Press attended - bar one or two at the start
ONLY ONE Australian politician from the Labor or Liberal parties has spoken out in Parliament in defence of the Palestinians - and dare I say it - “the token Muslim” (no disrespect Senator Fatima Payman).14
Nor is there any acknowledgement by any politician of Labor or Liberal of other non-Zionist Jewish voices such as those presented by The Jewish Council of Australia, Tdezek Collective, The Australian Jewish Democratic Society and so forth.
There is something VERY wrong here.
Holding your local State & Federal MPs to Account
That’s an exhaustive network of FOI groups, Zionist groups and other pro-Israeli lobby groups in Australian politics.
Why does this matter?
So you can challenge your local State and Federal MPs on their views against clear vested interests.
Give them a chance to earn your vote and the votes of a much greater set of people. Ask them:
How much time are you spending with these groups?
Have you been to see anyone in the Palestinian or moderate Jewish representative groups?
Will you attend a peaceful Palestinian protest or visit a peaceful encampment to see for yourself - unlike that presented in the media?
How have these FOI groups influenced your views on Israel?
If you are currently staunchly pro-Israeli now - do you have a “red line” where you’d stop supporting Israel?
Then decide if you let them off the hook.
If that last answer is no - that’s just insane and a non-secular blinkered ideology that has NO PLACE with a public servant in Parliament.
Why would anyone support continued genocide? It’s like Trump’s innocuous boast - “I could walk down 5th Avenue and shoot someone in the head and still get away with it”.
As I say - with the unprecedented humanitarian situation in Gaza and the quite frankly illogical attitude of Governments in opposing ceasefires, continuing to supply Israel and not even a peep of criticism of Israel - there MUST be another reason why politicians are not taking action.
This is it.
The FOI groups in Parliaments across Australia clearly play a substantive part in cultivating a bias towards Israel with the MPs who are members, accordingly shaping the agenda in Parliament. And that’s not including the funded trips to Israel for politicians, journalists and others.
And who knows how actual political funding works in Australia.
As at the beginning with all these FOI groups and invariable events, functions - how do people find time to do their day jobs?
Perhaps with help.
To read more about the pro-Israeli lobby in Australia read Related Articles section.
RELATED ARTICLES
Summary of Sleekit Scotsman ☮️🏴 Substack Related Articles referenced in this article:
How the pro-Israel lobby and an extremist group leveraged falsely captioned footage and the damage done:
The pro-Israeli lobby in Australia:
Australian Jewish News Jun 1 2023 “Politicians and dignitaries celebrate Israel’s 75th birthday“ - https://www.australianjewishnews.com/politicians-and-dignitaries-celebrate-israels-75th-birthday/
NSW Government Premier Press Release 21 Nov 2023 - “Prosecution of threats and incitement to violence set to be streamlined“ - https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/threats-and-incitement-to-violence
Australian Jewish News 1 Dec 2023 - “Minns slaps down MP who questions veracity of ‘gas the Jews’ footage“ - https://www.australianjewishnews.com/minns-slaps-down-mp-who-questions-veracity-of-gas-the-jews-footage/
Sydney Morning Herald Feb 2 2024 - “Police review finds no evidence ‘gas the Jews’ phrase chanted at Sydney Opera House protest“ - https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/police-review-finds-no-evidence-antisemitic-phrase-chanted-at-sydney-opera-house-protest-20240202-p5f1v7.html
CityHub May 3 2024 ““Red Dye Three”: peaceful pro-Palestine activists appear in Sydney court“ - https://cityhub.com.au/red-dye-three-peaceful-pro-palestine-activists-appear-in-sydney-court/
The Guardian Tasmin Rose 16 May 2024 “NSW premier sacks parliamentary secretary over criticism of police response to pro-Palestine protesters“- https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/16/nsw-premier-chris-minss-sacks-labor-mp-anthony-dadam-karen-webb-police-pro-palestine-protest
The Guardian Mostafa Rachwani 29 May 2024 “Australian public servants call on government to ‘cease supplying all military parts and weapons to Israel’“ - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/30/australia-public-servant-open-letter-israel-weapons-military-war-gaza-rafah
National Indigenous Times Apr 8 2024 Dechlan Brendan “Aboriginal-Palestinian solidarity firm in the face of recent Peris comments“ - https://nit.com.au/08-04-2024/9908/Aboriginal-Palestinian-solidarity
Australian Jewish News Shane Desiatnik May 12 2022 “Premier honour for Berger“ - https://www.australianjewishnews.com/premier-honour-for-berger/
Australia Israel Labor Dialogue website: 10 May 2022 “Speech by Chris Minns MLA, leader of the opposition and leaders of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales at the Israel Independence Day Event, Sydney 10 May 2022" https://aild.org.au/speech-by-chris-minns-mla-leader-of-the-opposition-and-leader-of-the-australian-labor-party-in-new-south-wales-at-the-israel-independence-day-event-sydney-10-may-2022/
Crikey Feb 6 2024 “When it comes to the Middle East, hypocritical Minns wants MPs to do what he says, not do as he does“ - https://www.crikey.com.au/2024/02/06/chris-minns-hypocrisy-nsw-mps-israel/
NSW Parliament Hansard: LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTY-EIGHTH PARLIAMENT, MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS, No. 20, WEDNESDAY 23 AUGUST 2023 (page 385): https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/hp/housepaper/29335/20-Min-20230823-Cor.pdf
Sky News Australia 31 May 2024 “Victorian Premier under fire following a Jewish community function“ - https://www.skynews.com.au/opinion/victorian-premier-under-fire-following-a-jewish-community-function/video/1f75b349448539289f4e67fadd406c5f
ABC News 30 May 2024, Monte Bovill and Matthew Doran “Labor senator Fatima Payman resigns from foreign affairs committees after genocide comments“ - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-30/fatima-payman-resigns-from-foreign-affairs-committees/103915374#