Spilling the Cannellini Beans

Hm...

"Wearing her much-scrutinised prime ministerial white jacket, Julia Gillard fitted right in with the chefs in the kitchen of Bakini in St Kilda Road on Saturday night. The besieged leader had dinner in the Italian restaurant owned by Albert Dadon, the property developer and chairman of Ubertus who used to employ Gillard's partner, Tim Mathieson, before she ascended the Canberra throne. Gillard rubbed her white shoulders with the whites of chef Simone Righetto and chatted with kitchen staff. Dadon posted a snap of Gillard on Twitter but when asked to spill the cannellini beans on the visit, he said: 'The dinner was of private nature and I am not at liberty to disclose anything'. If the PM was sounding out Dadon for a job for herself, post-politics, or for Mathieson, he won't say." (Gillard jazzes up dinner with Dadon, Suzanne Carbone, watoday.com.au, 5/6/12)

Sounding out Albert for jobs, Suzanne? That's certainly one possibility. But Albert is so much more than just a property developer. He also runs a shuttle service for Australian politicians and their entourages to Israel called the Australia Israel Leadership Forum. And he's a good mate of Michael Danby, Labor's Mr Israel. Quite clearly Susan, Albert does have more on his mind than just rearranging the cityscape and Italian tucker. Instead of sounding out Albert for a job, could Albert perhaps be sounding out Julia to do a little job... for Israel? His reluctance to spill the cannellini beans, as you put it, certainly invites such speculation. Could the conversation have gone something like this, for example:

To cut to the chase, Julia, what with Israel forever on the cusp of being driven into the sea by massed Palestinian panzer divisions, and more recently, on the cusp of being toasted by Iran's non-existent nuclear arsenal, it really doesn't need yet another headache on its hands, know what I mean? But damn it, that's exactly what it has right now: thousands of African infiltrators are currently on the cusp of turning Israel's fabulous white Jewish Majority into a besieged minority!

And no, it's not just baseless paranoia! I'm talking existential threat here. Israelis know what these infiltrators are up to. After all, they themselves were once a fabulous white Jewish minority who had to work overtime - know what I mean? - turning Palestine's then brown Muslim Majority into the besieged  minority you see today, OK? You do understand, don't you?

So how about it, Julia? If you could help us out here, like Howard did with those South Lebanon Army dudes back in 2000, we'd be eternally grateful. And if he ever needs it, I could put Tim back on the payroll as a waiter here at at Bakini's, not to mention throw a couple of those lucrative pre-poll breakfasts with the Jewish community at my Toorak mansion* come election time. What do you say? Is it a deal?

Now lest such speculation be dismissed as idle, read the following item, coupled with my 4/9/11 post, Israel's Australia Solution, and you'll see what I mean:

"MK Danny Danon (Likud) asked Australian MP Michael Danby on Wednesday to propose, in parliament in Canberra, sending African migrants from Israel to Australia. Danon and Danby discussed the issue during the Australian politician's visit to Israel for the World Jewish Congress's International Conference of Jewish Parliamentarians. 'The arrival of thousands of [African] Muslim infiltrators to Israeli territory is a clear threat to [Israel's] Jewish identity', Danon told The Jerusalem Post. 'The refugees' place is not among us, and the initiative to transfer them to Australia is the right and just solution. On the one hand, it treats the refugees and migrants in a humane way. On the other hand, it does not threaten Israel's future and our goal to maintain a clear and solid Jewish majority', he explained. Danon said Danby enthusiastically agreed to present the idea to the Australian Parliament." (Danny Danon: Send African migrants to Australia, Lahav Harkov, 30/6/11)

Watch this space.

 [*See my 20/8/12 post A Pre-Poll Breakfast Tradition.]