"Mr Beattie described a proposed ban on politicians travelling to Israel on trips funded by Jewish organisations as an 'extreme view' counter-productive to a two-state solution, which he supports. It smacks of [a] single-minded obsession with Israel. This is becoming an obsession and I don't think that's healthy politically,' Mr Beattie said." (Beattie blasts ALP's 'Stalinist' stance on Israel, Sharri Markson, The Australian, 4/2/16)
A single-minded obsession with Israel? Beattie should know:
"A Queensland-based Corporate Research Centre for software company SAP has become the primary IT solutions provider for the Israeli Government. Under the contract Queensland centre staff would collaborate with SAP Portals in Israel to develop software for SAP's global customers. Queensland Premier Peter Beattie congratulated the centre, saying 'A contract of this size is a tremendous coup for SAP and a glowing endorsement of SAP Australia's decision to choose the Smart State as the base for this Corporate Research Centre in 2001. I am told the Brisbane centre has quickly grown in status to become one of the major contributors to SAP'a global research arm,' Beattie said." (QLD provides IT solution for Israel, itnews.com.au, 25/3/04)
"A new drive by small and medium size exporters is beginning to impact on one of Australia's curious trading anomalies: our relatively modest export sales to Israel... But fresh enthusiasm is emerging for sales to Israel, driven partly by friendly rivalry between Queensland and Victoria for a greater slice of the export pie. Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie, has declared he wants his state to become the major focus of Australian business with Israel..." (Israel export, Joe Parkes, dynamicbusiness.com, 1/2/06)
That was then. How about now?
Seems his single-minded obsession with the apartheid state has only grown:
"In her second Sydney appearance, ex MK Einat Wilf shared a platform with past Queensland Premier Peter Beattie before an audience of Labor and union stalwarts at Trades Hall. The two former Labor parliamentarians appeared together to launch the Australia-Israel Labor Dialogue, a new organisation which aims to foster dialogue and fraternal links between the Australian and Israeli Labor parties... Beattie argued for a future of creative partnership with Israel which he cited as the world's best model of the innovative high-tech based entrepreneurial spirit that he had hoped to foster with his 'Smart State' reforms while Premier of Queensland. In his speech Beattie gave pride of place to 'six perspectives to appeal to a new generation of Labor moderates' from a widely circulated recent article 'Labor must not turn its back on Israel' by former Union NSW Secretary, Michael Easson." (Australia-Israel Labor Dialogue launched, jwire.com.au, 18/2/15)
So what, pray, are these 6 "perspectives" which have been widely circulated among Labor moderates? Here's number one:
"The single greatest reason for continuing Israel-Palestine conflict remains Jew-hatred within Palestinian society. Until Palestinians find their Mandela moment, this long, tragic conflict will continue. In slogans on every public wall in Gaza and in much of the West Bank, in Arabic-language television shows, in Palestinian school classes, there is incitement to kill Jews as Jews not just Israelis. How can there be real peace in that atmosphere?"
The Palestine/Israel conflict is a colonial conflict, the natural and inevitable outcome of a British attempt (1917-48) to impose a European settler-colonial movement, Zionism, on an unwilling indigenous people. It has nothing whatever to do with Jews as such. The simple truth is that even if the colonists had been Buddhists, we'd have had the same outcome.
If perspective 1 is fundamentally flawed, why bother with the rest? That Beattie is prepared to swear by Easson's poppycock speaks volumes about him.
Beattie+Easson=Grin & Spin
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3 comments:
"Mandela moment" gimme a break. As if there is any comparison. Are these scoundrels pushing the proposition that a complete surrender, with no political changes, to the Zionist usurpers is akin to Mandela? Do these propagandists actually think the occupied are not entitled to think ill, or worse speak ill, of those who drove them from their land? Such arrogance.
"Labor MODERATES"!!! what? Supporting war criminals and thieves is now MODERATE? More arrogance.
I would have thought a moderate would support the rule of law and the Geneva Conventions. NOT an apartheid, Bandit State.
Beattie is an irrelevancy he has always been pragmatic...Queensland Labor members have established Labor Friends of Palestine which will be formally launched over the next couple of months. So far we have over 120 members...hoping to garner more support (from little things big things grow). It sickens me to the core as an Aboriginal person that Australian governments' of both political persuasions have and continue to back Apartheid Israel and Labor party members accepting blood money to travel to Israel on study junkets. My father was a waterside worker and I recall attending political forums from a very young age... the Maritime Union of Australia has a long and strong history of supporting social causes and upholding the rights of workers and human rights more broadly...hopefully the labour movement once again will spearhead a social movement that supports the end of the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories and the end of state sanctioned terror against Palestinian people.
Rhonda, I wish you every success. Great to hear from you. I hope you find this blog useful.
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