Just How Bright is Julie Bishop?

As I once wrote, I just don't do agreement with The Australian's 'Suppository of All Wisdom', Greg (Jerusalem Prize) Sheridan - except in one instance when he lashed out with this unequivocal statement:

"Julie Bishop... has not produced a single sentence of substance or originality while in the portfolio." (See my 17/2/11 post Sheridan Biffs Bishop, MERC Cries Foul.)

I was reminded of the above by the following item in yesterday's issue by The Australian's Middle East Correspondent John Lyons:

"A group of eminent Israelis has urged Australia to continue to support 'the international consensus' that Jewish settlements on the West Bank are illegal. The group said it noted 'with deep concern' Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's recent comments about settlements. Separately, four leading lawyers, including former attorney general Michael Ben-Yair, have 'reminded' Ms Bishop that it is the unanimous position of judges of the International Court of Justice that settlements are illegal. The lawyers say that status has been confirmed by resolutions of the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council and is the longstanding position of the Red Cross, the EU and most countries. The Times of Israel reported that Ms Bishop had questioned whether settlements in the Palestinian territories were illegal. 'I would like to see which international law has declared them illegal,' it reported the Foreign Minister as saying." (Israeli lawyers caution Bishop, 27/1/14)

Is it not a damning indictment of Bishop that she has to be reminded of the fundamentals of international law by the leading lawyers of an Occupying Power?