The Taming of Tanya 4

Why is the news of Tanya Plibersek's rambamming not up on her website or Facebook page? Why should one have to go to The Australian Jewish News to learn of it?

"Shadow foreign minister Tanya Plibersek lamented the lack of progress towards peace after spending two and a half days in Israel and the West Bank. The deputy Labor leader's itinerary last month saw her visit Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Ramallah, and meet with figures including Israeli Labor leader Isaac Herzog, Ministry of Defence foreign relations head Major General (Ret) Amos Gilad and Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah." (Plibersek reflects on Israel trip, 21/2/14)

Herzog? Of course. They have have much in common:

"As a politician, Herzog made a name for himself always adhering to the party line." (The Bougieman: Much hope rests on small shoulders of Isaac Herzog, Asher Schechter, Haaretz, 1/12/13)

And how rich is this: the woman who once referred to Sharon as a 'war criminal' ends up having a cuppa with one of his cronies:

"[Amos Gilad became] the army's co-ordinator in the occupied territories and helped... Ariel Sharon engineer the reoccupation of the West Bank and crush the Palestinian Authority." (Amos Gilad 'running Israel', Jonathan Cook, The Electronic Intifada, 26/2/09)

"She told The AJN one of the most memorable moments was visiting Yad Vashem and the children's memorial was moving,' she said. 'A political highlight was my visit to the Knesset, and the interesting and influential people I was able to talk with there.' She said the country remained 'as beautiful as I remember it from my first visit [in 2000]'."

Funny how the rambammed never seem to notice THE WALL...

"'It is a privilege to visit cities, towns and regions with such a long and rich history,' she said. 'In my opinion, one of the great strengths of Israel is its diversity, where people from many backgrounds live together in a pluralist, democratic society'."

Yes, Tanya, it doesn't come much more diverse than a Jewish state. And OMG, that "pluralist, democratic" stuff is pure Tony Abbott! (See my 13/9/13 post Just How Bright is Tony Abbott.)

"But she observed: 'Politically, my general observation is that Israeli politics has gradually moved towards the right, including the growing strength of settler parties'."

That's all you observed, Tanya? Seems it's not only pluralist, democratic Israel that's lurched to the right. Whatever happened to the woman who once (2002) described Israel as a 'rogue state'?