Kevin Rudd's 'The PM Years'

It is in the nature of political lobbies to operate behind closed doors, away from the public eye. Australia's Israel (or Zionist) lobby is no exception. In fact, it is probably true to say that most Australians are simply unaware of its existence, let alone its powerful hold over our elected representatives, not to mention its relentless policing of the corporate media. And that lack of awareness, to be sure, is just the way the lobby would have it.

Be that as it may, given the Israel lobby's hugely successful impact on Middle East policy formulation by governments from both sides of the political divide, as well as its equally successful role in shaping and managing mainstream media discourse on the Middle East, any inside account of its modus operandi is more than welcome. Recent memoirs, by former foreign minister Bob Carr, former prime minister Kevin Rudd, and journalists John Lyons and Mike Carlton, have helped expose the lobby's interventions and manipulations in these two key areas. Indeed, judging by their revelations, it could be said that we are approaching critical mass here - to the point where no truly sentient Australian can any longer feign ignorance of either the Israel lobby's existence or its clout.

I've already mined Carr's Diary of a Foreign Minister (2014) and John Lyons' Balcony Over Jerusalem for their insights. As time permits, I'll move on to Carr's Run for Your Life (2018) and Carlton's On Air (2018) in later posts. For now, I'll deal here with Rudd's Kevin Rudd: The PM Years (2018), annotating where necessary:

"Then there was the question of Israel. Back in 2003, under the Howard government, the Israeli intelligence services had taken it into their heads to use forged Australian passports in one of their operations abroad. They had been found out. Dennis Richardson, the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation at the time, had hauled them over the coals. The Israelis had been forced to sign an agreement with us that if we were to continue intelligence cooperation with them in the future, they would never do this again. Obviously the Israelis had not taken us seriously, because they did it again - this time in a botched intelligence operation which culminated in the assassination of a Hamas leader visiting Dubai. Mossad had left their paw prints all over the operation. The Israeli authorities plainly did not care that by using and abusing Australian passports, they were placing at risk not just the integrity of our passport system but, more importantly, the safety and security of hundreds of thousands of Australians who travelled on these passports through the Middle East each year.

"The matter was brought to the National Security Committee of the cabinet. Dennis Richardson, who had recently been appointed secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs by our government, was an experienced senior diplomat of the old school. His advice to us was unequivocal: unless Australia wished to be seen as a 'soft touch' by the Israelis, we had to act firmly and decisively. We should expel the Mossad representative at the Israeli embassy in Canberra, and make public our reasons for doing so. Only then would it be considered a significant enough issue in Israel to force the political arm of the government to rein Mossad in.

"I looked around the room. Everyone was nodding in agreement - except Julia [Gillard]. I asked her explicitly whether she supported the recommendation. She grunted her assent. I knew for a fact that Julia had been cultivating a close relationship with the Israeli lobby in Australia. There was nothing wrong with that, particularly given her own pro-Palestinian background from her days as a left-wing political activist. I was also conscious that her partner, Tim, had gone to work for a prominent member of the Jewish community in Melbourne. I didn't want any fractures in the government on this one."

Just how close Gillard's relationship with the Israel lobby was is explored in some detail in Carr's Diary of a Foreign Minister. For the details, I refer you in particular to my posts The Carr Diary: Reflections 4, 5 & 6 (18-20/4/14) and my 18/1/13 post The Prime Minister who Put Her Job on the Line for Israel.

With respect to Rudd's assertion that Gillard had a "pro-Palestinian background from her days as a left-wing political activist," he is mistaken. Just the opposite is the case. (See my post 14/8/10 post The Real Julia Gillard.)

"When [foreign minister] Stephen Smith made our position public, the Israeli government was less than impressed. Their ambassador, Yuval Rotem, came in to protest. And that's when the complaints from the Australian Jewish lobby started to come in thick and fast. I had no qualms about saying publicly that the decision by Israeli intelligence services to use and abuse the Australian passport system was not the action of a friendly government. I then said as much to Prime Minister Netanyahu, and I told him I expected him to take action against Mossad.

"Colin Rubenstein, a leading conservative political activist from Sydney, and Mark Leibler from Melbourne went off their heads. How could Australia have the temerity to treat our friend and ally Israel in such cavalier fashion? How could we be certain that Mossad had done this? Surely we were mistaken... And even if Mossad had done it, weren't such things done on a regular basis in the ugly world of intelligence? I was then lobbied by our own Jewish members of parliament, led by Michael Danby and Mark Dreyfus. They came to see me, demanding that I 'do something'. My response was to ask what they would have done if they were either foreign minister or prime minister of a country and another country had forged their passports in order to assassinate someone who at that stage was under the protection of another country (the UAE) with whom Australia also had a close relationship."

Rubenstein is the executive director of Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) and Leibler is its national chairman. AIJAC is based in Melbourne.

"However, out of respect for my parliamentary colleagues, I suggested that we invite leading members of the Jewish community to the Lodge for dinner to discuss the matter further. The dinner was held on 3 June, and I remember the evening well. I sat there politely as Mark Leibler berated me for having committed a hostile act. I found this remarkable as I had been a strong defender of the state of Israel from the earliest days of my diplomatic career and had always been a vigorous campaigner against all forms of anti-Semitism. And for Leibler to attack the democratically elected prime minister of his country as he sought to argue the interests of another country was beyond the pale.

"'You do realise that this is Israel's second offence?' I said. 'What do you mean?' he asked. 'They did exactly the same under Howard, got a gentle rap over the knuckles, and promised never to do it again.' Leibler looked stunned. 'I don't believe you.' 'Then why don't you sit down with the head of Foreign Affairs, who is the former head of ASIO, and I'll authorise him to brief you on exactly what has happened here,' I countered. 'I think you'll find that our response to Israel's actions has been entirely reasonable under the circumstances.'

"Leibler still stared at me in disbelief. And then disbelief turned to anger. Apropos of nothing, he said, 'Julia is looking very good in the public eye these days, Prime Minister. She's performing very strongly. She's a great friend of Israel. But you shouldn't be anxious about her, should you, Prime Minister?' It was Leibler at his menacing worst." (Kevin Rudd: The PM Years, 2018, pp 282-84)

Rudd's dinner at the Lodge is the subject of a most interesting report by Peter Hartcher, the Sydney Morning Herald's international editor, for which see my 22/6/10 post The Best Israel Policy Money Can Buy. See also the account of same in The Australian Jewish News, quoted in my 11/6/10 post Those Irresistable Zionist Pheromones Again 2.

Sadly, "Leibler at his menacing worst" was not the wake-up call that Rudd needed on the matter of Israel, because just over a year later we find him, with Danby, in a Melbourne Max Brenner outlet condemning those advocating its boycott. A more disillusioned Rudd can be seen later in Carr's 2014 Diary of a Foreign Minister, for which see my 20/4/14 post The Carr Diary Reflections 6. Finally, we have the Israel critic of later years, for which see my 23/2/17 post Rudd & Netanyahu Cross Swords, as well as the following  passage from his memoir:

"Elsewhere on the international front there was good news to be had. In October 2012, nearly five years after I had launched the initial campaign, the news finally came through of Australia's extraordinary win for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Gillard was never an enthusiast. Through the influence of her 'Middle East Advisor', Bruce Wolpe, Gillard had already begun unravelling a number of Australian votes on UN General Assembly resolutions on Palestine in order to appease the far-right Jewish lobby in Melbourne. When I was prime minister and foreign minister, Australia's voting profile on Israel had changed from one of unquestioning compliance with US and Israeli interests, to one which was much more aligned with British voting patterns in the UN. Our votes were still more sympathetic to Israel than those of the rest of Europe. But this was not good enough for Gillard. The far-right Jewish lobby in Melbourne wanted to go back to the good old days of the Howard government. And Gillard wanted to deliver. This would be coordinated through her loyal operative Wolpe to ensure that Australia would once again join the likes of the US, Palau and maybe two or three other Pacific micro-states, in voting against UN General Assembly resolutions that were critical of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. It was no surprise that Gillard would later be awarded, together with Abbott, an honorary doctorate at an Israeli university for her services to the cause. The only problem was that these were not services to Australia's cause. They were services to the Israeli Government's cause under prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his total opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state." (pp 508-09)

Of course, Rudd still hasn't broken through his childhood/religious/Labor Party conditioning to arrive at a real understanding of the dark apartheid heart of the Zionist project in Palestine, and probably never will, but at least he's experienced a learning curve of sorts.

Anatomy of a Zionist Dupe

This piece, The rise & fall of Priti Patel, by French-Algerian journalist Nabila Ramdani is a devastating critique of the Priti Patels of this world, without whose amorality, stupidity and greed, it should always be remembered, Israel's fifth columnists could not as easily go about their largely below-the-radar business of manipulating and corrupting Western polities in Israel's interest:

"Ask former colleagues of Britain's deposed Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel what they really think of her and you can see why her ministerial career was so short lived. She was a far from popular ex-lobbyist for the tobacco and alcohol industries whose political objectives once included the return of the death penalty. Beyond describing EU social and employment regulations as 'a burden,' the fierce but muddled Brexit champion also declared that 'the British are among the worst idlers in the world.' Fellow MP Crispin Blunt rightly suggested that Patel's rise to power was the result of positive discrimination, saying she was a 'great British Asian representative in the Conservative Party' and thus accelerated to a top job.

"Patel's overall demeanor was that of a reactionary far-right, low-intellect egotist with little interest in doing anything for anybody except for herself, and those with large bank balances. Her abject lack of integrity was reflected in supremely reckless behavior during her 16 months in government. Most catastrophically - and of course most significantly - this included falling into the hands of Israeli powerbrokers who wanted to use their diminutive new 'friend' to advance their own interests.

"In this sense, the Patel scandal is a spectacular example of how Israel hones in on morally weak but well-connected figures to try to control British policy. Their manipulation of Patel was so blatant that it was illustrated by a Twitter photograph of the permanently grinning MP posing on the terrace of the House of Commons in London with Gilad Erdan, arguably the most abrasive security enforcer in Israel's ruling Likud Party. Erdan is a linchpin of Israel's attempt to destroy the increasingly successful Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which fights Israel's appalling human rights record through peaceful economic action. Just as controversially, Erdan is in charge of the large-scale targeting of influential foreigners deemed antipathetic toward Israel. At the time of her happy snap with Erdan - early September - Patel was in fact meant to be a supporter of Palestinians too, not least of all because she had a P13bn plus aid budget designed to alleviate the suffering of the world's poor. Instead, what she sought to do was cut Palestinian aid.

"Her one-sided disdain for the principal victims of Israel's colonialist regime extended to spending no time with any notable Palestinians during her wretched 'private holiday' to the Middle East in August. She was too busy glad-handing allies, including Benjamin Netanyahu himself, as well as the Israeli prime minister's Foreign Ministry Director General, Yuval Rotem. There are no known minutes of of Patel's discussions with those responsible for some of the most lethal, repressive and cruel policies in Israel's recent history. Not only have they backed more illegal land grabs but were directly behind the 2014 attacks on Gaza which saw more than 1,500 civilians murdered, including 551 children and 300 women...

"Patel could still technically be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act for these unrecorded exchanges with men like Netanyahu...

"Rather than taking an interest in Palestine's smashed infrastructure, illegal imprisonments, including hundreds of boys and girls, and all the other abuses and breaches of international law that characterize Israel's ongoing occupation of Palestinian land, Patel was far more enthusiastic about buttressing the war machine that enforces it. With breathtaking cynicism, she suggested that British taxpayers' money should be diverted into the woefully misnamed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) - one that spends most of its time on the offensive, and which already receives billions of dollars from the US.

"Following massacres such as Gaza, the IDF is currently involved in a murky initiative to treat fighters escaping Syria's civil war on the Golan Heights, an area that Britain and the rest of the world do not even recognize as belonging to Israel. Despite this, Patel visited a field hospital on the illegally occupied Golan with military and political personnel, so breaking all established protocols. Patients in such medical facilities include Al-Qaeda and Daesh militants, who are patched up by the Israelis before returning to the conflict against Syrian dictator Bashar Assad.

"Patel's view that this kind of 'humanitarian work' by the IDF is a worthy recipient of British taxpayers' money would have had everything to do with the hold of the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) had on her. The group's president, the peer Stuart Polack, set up at least 14 covert meetings for Patel in Israel and the UK. The Tory fixer is now refusing to answer questions about his role in the rise and fall of the dismal Patel.

"This lack of democratic accountability has led to numerous conspiracy theories, including claims by pro-Israel propagandists - some calling themselves journalists - that the British Government have been lying about what they knew about Patel's Israel visit, and her own rogue foreign policy. In the midst of such sinister scheming, the Patel denouement did not solely expose the inadequacies of a low-grade chancer whose ruthless ambition was by no means matched by her abilities. Far more importantly, it shed light on the outrageous manner in which the agents of Israeli hegemony operate at the heart of sovereign governments." (arabnews.com, 10/11/17)

When Rudd Went Rogue...

Ever dreamt of having the POWER & INFLUENCE to put words into a politician's mouth? Read on:

"Five days later I [John Lyons] was in Cairo, covering a visit by Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd. At a news conference, he spoke about his desire for Iran to agree the regular international inspections of its nuclear facilities. An Egyptian journalist asked: if Iran and other nations had to agree to inspections, why shouldn't Israel? Rudd remarked that he could not dispute the logic, and agreed that all countries with nuclear weapons should have to submit to regular inspections.

"My ears pricked up. I knew Israel preferred that nobody even referred to their nuclear weapons, let alone talked about inspections...

"So after the news conference I asked Rudd if he could elaborate on his comments. He told me: 'Our view has been consistent for a long period of time, and that is that all States in the region should adhere to the NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty], and that includes Israel. And therefore their nuclear facility should be subject to IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] inspection.'

"Soon afterwards, Rudd was a guest at one of Albert Dadon's banquets at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem... The evening had been going calmly... when the mood in the room suddenly changed. An unwelcome guest had just arrived at the banquet courtesy of the Internet. My interview with Kevin Rudd in which he declared that Israel should not be exempt from international inspections had just been published online. People were standing looking at their phones and reading the story. The anger started bouncing off the walls.

"Sylvie came over to me: 'That man over there is telling people that you've verballed Kevin Rudd in your interview!'

"'That man' was Yuval Rotem, Israel's Ambassador to Australia - who had travelled to Jerusalem for that trip...

"By now it was fair to say I was pretty fired up. So often people instinctively blame the messenger if they don't like what someone has said. And so I went looking for Rotem. 'Ambassador, I hear you are telling people that Kevin Rudd did not make those comments about nuclear inspectors.'

"Rotem seemed uncomfortable that I had challenged him. 'Well, no Australian foreign minister has ever said that before,' he answered. 'Why would Kevin Rudd say it?'

"'Don't you think that's a question for you to ask Kevin Rudd?' I resonded. 'There are two tapes of that interview - I have one and Mr Rudd's staff have one. Would you like a copy? And Mr Rudd is just over there... '

"Just then Rudd's chief of staff, Philip Green, walked past. I beckoned him over. 'Philip, Mr Rotem is saying Foreign Minister Rudd never called for international inspectors for Israel's nuclear facilities.'

"'He did,' replied green. 'We have no problem with your story.'

"I then went looking for [Michael] Danby, who was also telling people in the room he doubted the story, and explained the same thing to him. Danby then switched his anger from me to Rudd. 'I'm going to take this up with Andrea Faulkner,' he said, referring to the Australian Ambassador to Israel...

"Now that it was clear that the quotes were not made up, the gates of fury opened against Kevin Rudd. The next morning I saw huddles in the foyer of the King David Hotel as different groups from Dadon's delegation discussed the issue.

"Dadon told me that while theoretically Israel should be under the same regime of inspections as anyone else, in reality they should be exempt. He was going to talk to Rudd and insist that he say at his upcoming press conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman that Israel had 'unique' security circumstances'.

"At the press conference, Lieberman addressed the nuclear issue. 'What is important is not whether any country is a member of the NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty] but whether it is responsible,' he said. 'Israel does not regard any inspector as necessary, as it is a responsible country, and we have proved this for many years.'

"Then came Rudd's turn to speak. He concentrated more on Iran's situation, saying Australia was deeply concerned about Iran's nuclear program. Then he mentioned Israel. 'We recognise... Israel's unique security circumstances... but in terms of our fundamental position on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, as it applies to this region... all states should be in, including Israel.'

"And so, while he had restated his position, he had added the words that Dadon told me he had wanted him to add.

"Dadon could not come to the press conference but, knowing that I was going along, telephoned me at home that night. He asked: 'Did Kevin use the phrase 'unique security circumstances?'

"'Yes,' I said.

"'Good.'" (Balcony Over Jerusalem: A Middle East Memoir, 2017, pp 268-71)

For the details as reported at the time, see my 20/12/10 post The Kevin Rudd Road Show 2.

Yet again: BUY THIS BOOK!

The Carr Diary 8: Reflections 2

As I sought to show in my last post, when it comes to Palestine/Israel, former Labor foreign minister Bob Carr is no radical critic of the Israeli apartheid status quo.

So the question arises: what caused this amiable, mild-mannered, overly-pragmatic, pro-Israel pillar of the Labor establishment to blow the whistle on Australia's Israel lobby?

Let's begin by pointing out the bleeding obvious: Carr's whistleblowing Diary of a Foreign Minister is no comprehensive critique such as Mearsheimer & Walt's seminal study, The Israel Lobby & US Foreign Policy (2006). Nor is it in any way an Australian version of US Congressman Paul Findley's They Dare to Speak Out: People & Institutions Confront Israel's Lobby (1985). In fact, I can guarantee that this widely-read Americanophile has neither of these superb books on his shelves. Still, I give him his due here merely by mentioning those two great works in relation to his.

Without detracting in any way from the importance of what Carr has done - shining a light on possibly the darkest corner of Australian politics - it should be kept in mind that Diary focuses on only the most overtly Likudnik wing of Australia's Israel lobby, the Melbourne-based Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC). The influence and modus operandi of the other Australian Zionist organisations which make up the lobby, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, and the Zionist Federation of Australia, are nowhere touched on.

Nor, it should be pointed out, did Carr set out with an axe to grind. His concern is always for the preservation of Israel as a Jewish state. In fact, he's so comfortable with the idea and all that flows from it, namely that millions of Palestinians can remain forever warehoused in refugee camps just so his Australian Jewish friends can call Israel home.

For example, early on in Diary he writes:

"I had told a Jewish delegation that without a Palestinian state they would see Israel bursting with an Arab population; and in 20 years' time it would be young Jews in America leading a campaign to brand Israel an apartheid state and boycott and isolate it." (p 76)

Carr's initial brief as foreign minister was to ensure that Australia beat Finland and Luxembourg to a seat on the United Nations Security Council, and it is in this particular context that his problem with AIJAC begins. Anything to do with Palestine or Palestinians, he makes clear, is a potential stumbling block:

"To win the vote in October... we can't afford to have a vote on some irritating Middle East issue that sees us put our hand up for Israel and lose the support we've carefully cultivated among Arabs and Africans. One vote coming up at the UN is on a motion that criticises Israel for the conditions of Arabs in the occupied territories and I want to support it but I need to manage the local Israel lobby and its faction - 'the falafel faction' as they self-mockingly call themselves - in caucus." (p 95)

There's no anger in Carr at this point. As bizarre as it may seem to a disinterested observer that a foreign lobby should be operating a cross-party faction in Australia's federal parliament, he accepts the 'falafels' merely as a management issue. And how's this for revelation number one; Carr knows that, when the need arises to manage Labor's 'falafels', it's best to ignore the monkeys and go straight to the organ grinder himself:

"I saw Yuval Rotem, the Israeli Ambassador, and asked him to cut us some slack, to watch us vote for the motion without a fuss. I told him we could do some good for Israel as a member of the Security Council for two years. On Tuesday he said he'd take advice on it and today he was back in my office saying he'd cleared it with Jerusalem. Smart politician, he even told me he'd seen Liberal Senator Glenn Searle from Western Australia who, with Labor Melbourne MP Michael Danby, heads the pro-Israel faction." (p 96)

There you have it, straight from the horse's mouth: in a supposedly independent Australia, Middle East policy must first be vetted and approved by Israel, a most extraordinary state of affairs by any reckoning.

Carr even felt the need at the time (June 2012) to flail what passes for a Palestinian lobby in Australia with Zionist propaganda tropes, apparently by way of recompense for discomforting Israel's ambassador:

"I want to meet a Palestinian or Arab delegation for every Jewish or Israeli delegation. So I ticked off a meeting with the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, whose president, Reverend James Barr, is said to be a political realist... I tell them we oppose settlements but, but I said as long as rockets are launched from Gaza at Israeli towns, support in Israel for a peace settlement will shrink. 'Will you condemn the dividing wall?' they asked. I said if bombs had been going off in central Sydney while I'd been Premier, I would have built a dividing wall." (pp 95-96)

To be continued...

The Carr Diary 1

Former foreign minister Bob Carr has just shone the light, albeit a weak one (but better than none), on a dark corner of Australian political life, the distorting influence of the Israel lobby on Australian foreign policy in the Middle East. Some excerpts from the current reportage:

7.30 Report, 9/4/14:

Sarah Ferguson: Let's go to the book. The strongest criticism of all... is aimed at the Melbourne Jewish lobby. Now, there are lobby groups for every cause under the sun. What's wrong with the way that group operates?

Bob Carr: Well the important point about a diary of a foreign minister is that you shine light on areas of government that are otherwise in darkness and the influence of lobby groups is one of those areas. And what I've done is to spell out how the extremely conservative instincts of the pro-Israel lobby in Melbourne was exercised through the then-prime minister's office... I found it very frustrating that we couldn't issue, for example, a routine expression of concern about the spread of Israeli settlements on the West Bank. Great blocks of housing for Israeli citizens going up on land that everyone regards as part of a future Palestinian state, if there is to be a two-state solution resolving the standoff between Palestinians and Israelis in the Middle East.

SF: You're saying that the Melbourne Jewish lobby had a direct impact on foreign policy as it was operated from inside Julia Gillard's cabinet?

BC: Yeah, I would call it the Israel lobby - I think that's important. But certainly they enjoyed extraordinary influence. I had to resist it and my book tells the story of that resistance coming to a climax when there was a dispute on the floor of caucus about my recommendation that we don't block the Palestinian bid for increased non-state status at the United Nations.

SF: They're still a very small group of people. How do you account for them wielding so much power?  

BC: I think party donations and a program of giving trips to MPs and journalists to Israel. But that's not to condemn them. I mean, other interest groups do the same thing. But it needs to be highlighted because I think it reached a very unhealthy level. I think the great mistake of the pro-Israel lobby in Melbourne is to express an extreme right-wing Israeli view rather than a more tolerant liberal Israeli view, and in addition to that, to seek to win on everything, to block the foreign minister of Australia through their influence with the prime minister's office, from even making the most routine criticism of Israeli settlement policy using the kind of language that a conservative foreign secretary from the UK would use in a comparable statement at the same time.

Sydney Morning Herald, 10/4/14:

"Bob Carr has published private messages between himself and Julia Gillard to reveal the 'extraordinary' level of influence the pro-Israel lobby had on the former prime minister's office. In a remarkable disclosure of private conversations, Mr Carr said he chose to publish the text messages in his book - Diary of a Foreign Minister - without getting Ms Gillard's permission, because to do so was in the national interest. He also describes Israel's former ambassador as 'cunning' and reveals his fights with the self-described pro-Israel 'falafel faction' in Labor's caucus that includes Jewish MPs Mark Dreyfus and Michael Danby... 'The public should know how foreign policy gets made, especially when it appears the prime minister is being heavily lobbied by one interest group with a stake in Middle East policy.'... Mr Carr's criticisms of Israel touch the highest levels of the Israeli government. Mr Carr describes Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman as 'gloomy, taciturn', and the former Israeli ambassador Yuval Rotem as 'the cunning Yuval'. In diary entries Mr Carr reveals just how deep his division with Ms Gillard went. He complains that Ms Gillard would not even let him criticise Israeli West Bank settlements due to her fear it would anger Australia's pro-Israel lobby - a reference to the Melbourne-based Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council - which Mr Carr says had a direct line into the prime minister's office. 'So, we can't even 'express concern' without complaint,' Mr Carr writes. 'This lobby must fight every inch.'

"Reproducing private text messages, Mr Carr suggests Ms Gillard's support of Israel was so immovable that she would not even allow him to change Australia's vote on what he considered to be a minor UN motion. 'Julia - motion on Lebanon oil spill raises no Palestinian or Israel security issues. In that context I gave my commitment to Lebanon,' Mr Carr writes in a text message. 'No reason has been given to me to change,' Ms Gillard reportedly replies. 'Julia - not so simple,' Mr Carr responds. 'I as foreign minister gave my word. I was entitled to because it had nothing to do with Palestinian status or security of Israel.' Ms Gillard shuts him down in a final terse message: 'Bob... my jurisdiction on UN resolutions isn't confined to ones on Palestine and Israel'." (Bob Carr's texts to Gillard reveal 'extraordinary' influence pro-Israel lobby had on former PM, Jonathan Swan)

Sydney Morning Herald, 10/4/14:

"Less than a fortnight before Mr Rudd's loss in the election, the two men meet in Canberra... and acknowledge Labor has no hope of being returned. Mr Rudd laments on how so few hold power in Australia. '[Mr Rudd] reflects on how few people run the country: the Murdoch media, the heads of Rio and BHP, probably the heads of the big banks, and 'that mob', by which he means the hard-line... pro-Israel lobby in Melbourne.' Mr Carr calls it Mr Rudd's Richard II moment: 'Let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the deaths of kings'." (Bob Carr's Diary takes aim at Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd for mistakes, Tom Allard & Jonathan Swan)

Israeli Ambassador Departs in Propaganda Fog

Just how many fibs can someone cram into one short (5-sentence) paragraph? (Hint: the author of the following is Yuval Rotem, Israel's ambassador to Australia - alas, sadly leaving these shores):

"The historical relationship between Australia and Israel was forged in the heat of battle during WWI.(1) Members of Zion Mule Corps served alongside Anzac troops on the shores of Gallipoli.(2) The corps, largely made up of Jewish volunteers, recognised the importance of fighting with the Allies and the values they stood for.(3) This relationship strengthened as members of the Light Horse Brigade strove [?] gallantly through the Turkish Ottoman trenches in [?] the city of Be'er Sheva.(4) Fighting for freedom of the land, the soldiers were welcomed into the homes and hearts of Jewish residents."(5) (We are you, and you are us - Israel & Australia share values, The Australian, 28/9/13)

The answer is 5:

1) This, of course, is nothing more than the biggie. Proceed straight to (2).

2) "Alongside Anzac troops on the shores of Gallipoli"? Oh really? Fighting together, were they, with Zionists watching Australian backs, and Australians watching Zionist backs, as the Turkish shells rained down on the shores of Gallipoli?

Well, let's see what the Zion Mule Corp's Christian Zionist commander, Colonel J.H. Patterson, has to say in his book With the Zionists at Gallipoli (1916):

Chapter IX - The Zion Mule Corps Lands in Gallipoli - might be good place to start. Let's see. There's a Colonel Moorhouse. Sorry, he's a Brit. Ah, here's some troops! Sorry, they're French. What about this lot - Lancashire Fusiliers? What a pity, Brits again! Pushing on. Gore blimey, a battalion of Zouaves, in "their semi-barbaric uniform." Shit, French again!

What about Chapter XXI - Work of the Zion Mule Corps? No, no Australians there.

Ah, gold, surely: Chapter XXII The Australians & New Zealanders.

Mention 1: "When I left HQ at Imbros I took passage on a trawler which called in at Anzac, where the Australian-New Zealand Army Corps were dug into the ridges." Slight problem: no sign of the ZMC!

Mention 2: "Camp life at Mena, for the 30-odd thousand [Australians] training there, was very dull indeed. There was not much to relieve the monotony once the Pyramids had been climbed and the Australian colours had been planted on the summits, save an extra dose of sandstorm. It was no wonder, therefore, that every now and again the troops would invade Cairo in force and paint the city red: in fact, one night they painted it very red indeed, when they held a corroboree round the blazing ruins of a Cairene Courtesan's Temple, which they had given to the flames, because the Priestess had had, in some way or other, maladministered the rites!"

(Actually, I don't think this kind of loveable Aussie larrikanism would have been appreciated by the lads of the ZMC, since Patterson writes at one point of his "Israelites" (as he calls them): "It must not be supposed that all the Zionists were saints, or that I did not have my time of trouble and difficulty with them, because some would occasionally murmur and hanker after the 'flesh-pots of Egypt.' They were, indeed, true descendants of those forefathers of theirs who wandered in the wilderness, and whom Moses had so often to chide severely for their stiffneckedness." (Chapter XXI)

Forged in the heat of battle? Pull the other one, Yuval.

3) "Allied values." (Whatever they were/are.) So that's what the Zionist muleteers were doing at Gallipoli - they were drawn there by "Allied values." That's funny, because Benjamin Netanyahu's ideological Godfather Vladimir Jabotinsky, who first dreamt up the idea of a Jewish legion attached to the British army, was not in the least troubled by the pre-war status quo in Turkish-ruled Palestine: "[U]ntil Turkey's entry into the war, Jabotinsky hoped for a stalemate between Britain and Germany and 'peace as soon as possible'. The logical reaction, from Jabotinsky's point of view, to Turkey's entry into the war, was therefore to initiate moves to create a Jewish legion, under British or French auspices, which would participate in the invasion of Palestine." (The Triumph of Military Zionism: Nationalism & the Origins of the Israeli Right, Colin Shindler, 2010, p 23)

Nothing to do with "Allied values." More to do with simply never letting a chance go by!

4) "Be'er Sheva"? There was no Israeli "city of Be'er Sheva," just a Palestinian Arab town called Beersheba.

5) The Australian Light Horse "were welcomed into the homes and hearts of Jewish residents"? What, of Beersheba? Sorry, sport, Beersheba didn't have any Jewish residents. They lived in colonies much further north.

Could Australia's new Israeli ambassador be half as entertaining?

So Worried About Eddie's Reputation

If Eddie Obeid isn't more careful with whom he associates, I swear it could seriously damage his reputation:

"'Immediately after he retired, was he a person of influence? Absolutely,' one senior Labor figure says. 'And that extended to the ninth floor [NSW Labor's head office in Sussex Street].' The clearest evidence of this was the deal Obeid cut with party officials when they were trying to convince him to leave Parliament. Obeid insisted that if he agreed to go, he should be replaced by Walt Secord - the former chief of staff to Kenneally and treasurer Eric Roozendaal." (The Godfather, Ane Davies & Sean Nicholls, The Sydney Morning Herald, 3/8/13)

"Labor's newest frontbencher Ron Hoenig has been forced to reveal he accepted a ticket to the NRL semi-finals from Eddie Obeid last September - a fortnight after being elected to parliament. The revelation is an embarrassment for the Opposition Leader John Robertson. He promised new standards for pecuniary interest register declarations by his MPs in the wake of the ICAC scandal and the first act of declaration has seen Mr Hoenig admit receiving a gift from Mr Obeid, who is facing accusations he was part of rigging a mine licence to benefit his family. Mr Hoenig, the opposition's ports and energy spokesman, confirmed yesterday he had been invited by Mr Obeid to the preliminary NRL final South Sydney played last year. 'I was invited by Eddie Obeid whether I'd like to accompany the Israeli ambassador to a South Sydney football game which I did,' Mr Hoenig said... 'I think he wanted a Jewish Labor party person to accompany the Israeli ambassador.'... Mr Hoenig's Obeid connection comes a day after The Sunday Telegraph revealed his son Ben was caught posting abuse and racist tirades on his Facebook page." (Eddie Obeid gave footy tickets as gift to new Labor MP Ron Hoenig, Andrew Clennell, The Daily Telegraph, 4/3/13)

Australia Post Issues Israeli Propaganda Stamps 3

While the precise origins of Australia's Israel stamps lie shrouded in mystery, we do at least know who was present at last month's launch:

1) The Max Brenner-slurping, BDS-bashing Communications Minister Stephen Conroy. Conroy, you'll remember, was one of only two ministers (the other was Bill Shorten) who supported PM Gillard when she wanted Australia to vote against Palestine getting observer status at the UN last year.* As the jta.org report on the launch put it: "The official release Friday in the office of Communications Minister Stephen Conroy celebrates the friendship between Australia and the Zionist enterprise that has endured since the battle." (Australia, Israel commemorate 1917 battle with joint stamp, 10/5/13)

2) Israel's Ambassador Yuval Rotem, who "noted the friendships forged between Australian soldiers and Jewish residents amid the 1917 battle." (ibid) Amid the battle!

3) Australia Post's managing director Ahmed Fahour, who said: "The Battle of Beersheba is something close to the hearts of both Israelis and Australians and was a clear choice to feature on the stamp issue." (ibid)

[*See my 28/11/12 post The Powerlessness of One, which also contains a killer quote on Conroy from The Latham Diaries.]

Shaoquett Moselmane Speaks Truth to Power

With so many NSW state politicians bending the knee to Israeli apartheid and its local fifth column these days, the voices of those who fearlessly speak out in defence of Palestinian rights deserve our utmost respect.

One such is NSW Labor MLC Shaoquett Moselmane.

He had this to say in the context of a speech on religious freedom in the NSW Legislative Council on May 23:

"In a democratic country such as ours there are many ways in which people can express their views - the opportunities are wide open. I am a person who will not shy away from having my say. I will always say and do what is right, even in the face of the trash I have read in the Australian-Israeli media. One or two reporters writing in the Murdoch press - namely the Australian - have been attacking me and denying the truth of Israel's occupation of Palestinian land and the killing and dehumanising of the Palestinian people. This is utter garbage. I accept the right of people to express their views, even when they are wrong, naive, ill-informed, indoctrinated and blinded by the power of a political lobby group that is cancerous, malicious, and seeks to deny, misinform and scaremonger. What I do take exception to is foreigners intervening in the right of Australian politicians to speak out. Therefore, I say to the Israeli ambassador, Yuval Rotem, 'Butt out and stay out. Your perceived right to bully as you do in the Middle East does not extend to the Australian political arena.'

"In today's Australian, Cassandra Wilkinson*, lacking journalistic integrity and an informed knowledge of the Israeli occupation of Arab lands, took aim and attacked me. In an example of sloppy reporting and sloppy journalism, she quotes a statement she attributes to Mr David Shoebridge MLC that was actually made by Dr John Kaye MLC. Perhaps because Dr Kaye is of Jewish descent Ms Wilkinson conveniently attacks others in the NSW Parliament who simply dare to criticise - as any ethical or moral person would do - the state of Israel's illegal and criminal practices against the Palestinian people. I applaud all Muslim and Arab leaders for speaking out on these and other issues. I call on the Australian Arab Muslim community to unite and for once speak with one Australian voice. I ask them to protect the right of their community to speak out and deliver a message of peace and citizenship on behalf of their community so that neither they nor their messages are misconstrued or misunderstood."

In an article in today's Australian (Attack on Israel's backers puts ALP in damage control, Christian Kerr & Mark Coulton), quoting snatches of the above speech, we get some idea of the pressure Shaoquett Moselmane is coming under to toe the party (Likud?) line. One is reminded of the pressure to which the courageous and principled federal Labor MP Julia Irwin was subjected whenever she spoke up for the Palestinian cause:

"Clashes on Middle East policy are expected when the NSW Labor caucus meets tomorrow after a Muslim MP attacked supporters of Israel as 'cancerous' and 'malicious'."

(You'll note here that Moselmane was referring to the Israel lobby, not mere supporters of Israel. He's in good company in this regard: Fairfax columnist Mike Carlton has called the lobby a "ferocious beast," and another former Fairfax columnist and broadcaster, Terry Lane, described it as "malicious, implacable, mendacious and dangerous." (See my 12/6/10 post A Ferocious Beast.)

"MLC Shaoquett Moselmane was slapped down by Opposition Leader John Robertson after he used a speech in parliament about religious tolerance and multiculturalism to attack his critics, including columnists in The Australian... 'I comprehensively reject the allegations made by Mr Moselmane. I have made this clear to him', Mr Robertson said, adding that he had contacted Mr Rotem and Yair Miller, the president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. NSW Labor general secretary Sam Dastyari called the remarks 'completely inappropriate'. Australian Workers Union national secretary Paul Howes condemned Mr Moselmane's comments as 'contrary to the policy of the Labor Party'. Mr Moselmane declined to return calls from The Australian."

Watch this space.

[*See my 23/5/13 post Cassandra Wilkinson & Herstory.]

Barry to Baruch in 60 Seconds

He used to be just plain old Barry O'Farrell, or sometimes, in his earlier, more porcine form, as Fatty O'Barrell. But since becoming premier of NSW in March 2011, he's undergone a transformation. He's now Baruch O'Farrell, Israel's bestie ever in the Premier State.

The first I became aware that Barry was undergoing some kind of metamorphosis was back in April 2011 when he wrote a letter to Marrickville Council threatening to sack it over its support for BDS. Alas, it's been all uphill since then, as I've indicated in a series of earlier posts. (For a quick summary of the Barry-to-Baruch process, read the coda to my 8/4/13 post Doing the Donkey in the NSW Knesset 12.).

Now in his letter to Marrickville Council, the Premier declared authoritatively that: "Council's core focus should be on the delivery of quality core services to its residents and ratepayers." (Marrickville Council threatened with the sack, abc.net.au, 15/4/11)

Note the key words: "core focus".

And going back to his inaugural speech of 1995, the then Barry O'Farrell piously professed that he was "proud of the fact that my Party is the only political party not beholden to sectional interests. We do not kowtow to business, labour or rural interests... This whole-of-community representation is what allows us to make decisions based on what is right, not on what is demanded of us." (About Premier Barry O'Farrell, premier.nsw.gov.au)

Got the idea? The old Barry we all knew and loved - well, maybe not loved exactly, but you know what I mean - just wasn't into "sectional interests" or "kowtowing".

Now look at him:

"More than 620 guests representing the who's who of NSW society, including diplomats, government ministers, faith, civic and business leaders were treated to two outstanding addresses at the Yom Ha'azmaut [Israel Independence Day] function last night [2/5]... one from NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and the other from Israel's ambassador Yuval Rotem... The Premier presented Ambassador Rotem... with an effigy of himself bearing the name Baruch O'Farrell. The Premier announced the launch of the NSW Human Rights Award and NSW Jewish Board of Deputies Vic Alhadeff has been selected as a member of the 3 person [judging] panel... The function was hosted by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the Zionist Federation of Australia and the State Zionist Council of NSW." (Double treat for Sydney Yom Ha'azmaut function, jwire.com, 3/5/13)

Not only has Israel become a core focus of NSW politics but it looks like there's a whole lot of kowtowing going on in NSW politics.

Some gems from Baruch O'Farrell's speech:

"If one was restricted to a single word to describe the State of Israel it would be extraordinary."

And if I were restricted to a single word to describe Baruch O'Farrell it'd be...

"Israel has lived up to the prophetic words of Theodore [sic] Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, when he said: 'If you will it, it is no dream'."

So Israel's a dream come true? For Herzl, Baruch and his mates maybe, but for the Palestinian people it's a 24/7 unending nightmare.

"I have always supported Israel because I want Israelis - and people around the world - to be able to enjoy the secure border, lifestyle and liberty we Australians take for granted. Regrettably, President Peres was correct when he noted that while Israel was founded on the principle of equality, its existence was challenged and threatened by countries which neither acknowledge equality nor practise that principle."

Israel was founded on equality - yes, of course, for Jews. Most of the non-Jews got the boot.

"Recently, I was directed to the book, 'Israel: Years of Challenge' by David Ben-Gurion - Israel's first Prime Minister who proclaimed its independence on 14 May 1948. In the book Ben-Gurion wrote that... because Israel was surrounded by hostility, the surest way of arriving at peace and cooperation with its neighbours was by making friends around the world who understood Israel and would convey that understanding to Israel's neighbours. Well tonight we are just some of those friends and supporters that Israel has around the world. And Ben-Gurion reminds us that it's not enough to just be a friend. We need to speak up for our friend too. Whether in response to the latest attack upon Israeli civilians or the latest BDS protest, we need to demonstrate our support for Israel's right to peaceful existence with secure borders. Here in NSW we are trying to do our bit."

So let me get this right: Israel robs the Palestinians blind and its 'friends' clean up the mess. Brilliant! Oh, and anyone over here who dares to say, 'Hang on a minute', will have Baruch on his back.

"I am delighted that... the Parliamentary Friends of Israel was re-established. It is the parliament's largest friendship group and it is fiercely bi-partisan. I am delighted that a multi-party delegation of State MPs visited Israel and I want to acknowledge the wonderful assistance of the Jewish Board of Deputies in helping make that happen. And I am delighted that, later this year, one of my ministers will be part of a second delegation of MPs visiting Israel."

Not another bloody rambamming!

"My visit to Yad Vashem - and many visits to the wonderful Sydney Jewish Museum - certainly furthered my understanding of the incredible suffering of the Jewish people during the Holocaust... That's why I strongly endorsed the decision of the Board of Studies that from next year study of the Holocaust will become compulsory for NSW school students in years 9 and 10. This comes as a direct result of the tireless efforts of the Board of Deputies..."

Using the Holocaust shield to protect Israeli apartheid from criticism.

"I was very grateful the [Israeli] Ambassador [Yuval Rotem] took the time to come to Sydney last December when I was honoured to be presented with the Jerusalem Award by the Zionist Council."

Talk about buying the natives with trinkets. I can see it now, can't you? That patch of green in yonder distance. Ah yes, the 'Baruch O'Farrell Memorial Forest'.

"You'll notice I've even used the Hebrew word for Barry - Baruch - which many of you will know means blessed."

Yes, Baruch, we know, we know...

Doing the Donkey* in the NSW Knesset 10

On the speech of The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane, Labor Party, in the NSW Legislative Council, arising out of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel (PFoI) "study Mission" 'debate' of March 14:

Although Labor's Shaoquette Moselmane did not acquit himself particularly well in the NSW Legislative Council's 'debate' on BDS in September 2011,* I'm pleased to say that this time around he passed the Palestine test - the litmus for intellectual and moral courage in our time - with flying colours. In fact, I would hazard a guess that Moselmane's speech, though not without its problems, is the most forthright and wide-ranging defence of the Palestinian cause heard in an Australian parliament in recent years.

It certainly provoked the anger of the usual suspects, with The Australian Jewish News of March 22 referring to it as a "stinging diatribe," and quoting Board of Deputies CEO Vic Alhadeff (present at the delivery) describing it as "outrageous slurs and baseless comments."**

It is surely indicative of the extraordinary state of affairs that now pertains in Baruch O'Farrell's NSW Knesset that even the Israeli ambassador, Yuval Rotem, saw fit to intervene. Clearly accustomed to seeing Labor politicians dancing as one to Israel's tune, he whined: "It is immensely troubling to see a member of the NSW Labor Party, in an official capacity, using such a contemptible tone and terminology. It was also very disappointing to see that only one member of the NSW Labor Party, Mr Walt Secord, stood up and spoke against these unacceptable, highly defamatory statements."**

Given the impact of Moselmane's speech , therefore, I'm reproducing it in full, with my own comments in square brackets:

The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane: All people have a right to a homeland - all people, including Jews [A bad start admittedly. Jews are a faith community, not a 'people' and have no right to anyone else's homeland, including that of the Palestinian people.], Kurds, Armenians and Palestinians. All people have a right to exist and receive protections under international law and live in peace and security. Since the 1948 [sic: 1947] United Nations resolution to divide Palestine between Jews and Arabs, the Palestinian people have been left to suffer the trauma and indignity of a people dispossessed. I am not surprised that there is no mention in the motion of the Palestinian people, the Palestinian land, Palestinian suffering and Palestinian rights as a people deprived of their land, persecuted, imprisoned, killed, traumatised and dehumanised. I wonder whether the members on their study mission [ever] considered the Palestinian people; I wonder whether the human rights of the Palestinian people [ever] crossed their minds. I hope it did cross their minds and that they pondered a little the human rights of others now being dispossessed of their land, their dreams, their aspirations and their future as a people. Ever since 1948 the Zionist plan has been to... expand the borders of the Jewish colonial state. Zionist ideology demanded--

The Hon. Walt Secord: Point of order: My point of order is on relevance. The member is not speaking to the motion and, as the Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Israel I disassociate myself from his remarks. [This is particularly rich coming from a man whose speech, which touched on just about every human rights issue in the Middle East (and beyond - Holocaust, Armenia) bar one, was heard uninterrupted. (See my 19/3/13 post Doing the Donkey* in the NSW Knesset 4 19/3/13.) The AJN had this to say of Secord's interruptions in its March 22 editorial: "When Labor MLC Shaoquett Moselmane claimed last week in NSW's Upper House that Israel had torture camps in southern Lebanon and that Gaza is the world's largest open-air prison, it would have been easy to sit quietly in the corner. It would have been easy to call a journalist after the session or make a generic statement about how he, and Labor, still had a love of Israel, despite those comments. But Secord did neither. Instead, he stood up in the NSW Parliament and in a moment that put his political career on the line, he objected to the speech being made by a member of his own party. Having described it as an 'anti-Israel rant', according to political insiders, he has suffered a backlash behind closed doors." (A true friend) Put his political career on the line? Have you ever heard such balderdash?]

The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: To the point of order: This is a fairly broad-ranging motion. While the member's speech is not directly relevant to the wording of the motion, it would be unfair if he were not allowed to continue to speak, considering the breadth of the topic that has been debated in relation to this motion.

Deputy-President (The Hon. Paul Green): Order! The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane may resume his speech. He is within the latitude of the general purpose of the motion.

The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane: After the UN allocated 56% of Palestine to a Jewish state, 80% [sic:78%] was seized by force. Christians and Muslims made up two-thirds of the population. Jews, who owned only 6% of the land took 85% [sic:82%] of Palestine's land. The 800,000 [Palestinians] who were initially dispossessed, expelled from their land - now 5 million - [constitute] a diaspora. There was nothing fair or legitimate about the UN's offer. It was carried out over the objections of the majority. But even this corruption of justice was not enough to satisfy [Israel's] craving for other people's land. Arab voices were ignored. Not a single Arab was consulted on the plan. Now 5 million Palestinians are scattered across the globe and those still living in their homeland are living in two non-contiguous territories - Gaza and the West Bank - which make up less than 20% [NB: 22% in 1967] of the territory they originally had in 1967. I believe it is more like 14% of the former Palestine that they now live in. Members will see from this plan [sic: map] the former territory of Palestine and the land the Palestinians now own - just spots of land scattered all over.

The Hon. Walt Secord: Point of Order: The member is using props. The use of props is out of order.

Deputy-President (The Hon. Paul Green): Order! The member would be well aware that the protocol of the House is that members should not use props to support their arguments.

The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane: The Palestinians' right to return to their homeland is a fundamental right of all people. It is a fundamental right that is at the heart of the Palestinian struggle. This must be addressed and resolved fairly. In all of the speeches made in the House today, we have not heard about the Israeli assaults on Arab territories in 1956, 1967, 1982, 2006 and 2009. In the 2009 assault on Gaza, one thousand residents were killed [sic: 1,387], over 300 of them children, and 5,000 were wounded. As was described by a member earlier today, Gaza is the world's largest open-air prison camp, containing 1.5 million people in a very small parcel of land. The Israeli assault continues on Gaza. According to the Al-Mezan Center for Human rights, some 90,000 Gazans were forced to flee their homes. Residents of Gaza City and those to its north had no water or electricity; they were trapped, traumatised and terrorised. Nothing was said in this debate about the rights of those Palestinians who were effectively murdered by this military machine. They did not have hospitals. The Israeli military machine effectively erased government buildings, apartment buildings and mosques. It struck UN schools, the UNRWA compound, ambulances and hospitals. Their actions can be seen as a violation of international humanitarian law. The ICRC accused Israel of breaches of humanitarian conventions for failing to bring assistance to wounded and starving civilians and preventing ambulance access for 4 days. B'Tselem, Physicians for Human Rights and other Israeli human rights groups have described civilians being fired on in doorways by Israeli soldiers, attacks on ambulance crews and aid workers, and schools being used as civilian refuges. Human Rights Watch accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions over densely populated areas of Gaza in violation of international humanitarian law. The UN Human Rights Council has condemned the Israeli offensive for 'massive violations of human rights'. Amnesty International says that Israeli shelling of residential areas is 'prima facie evidence of war crimes'. The organisation has also accused Israeli soldiers of using Palestinians as human shields: 'It's standard practice for Israeli soldiers to go into a house, lock up the family in a room on the ground floor and use the rest of the house as a military base.' Richard Falk, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories and Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University, says that Israel is in breach of the UN Charter, the Geneva Conventions, international law and international humanitarian law. Falk says: 'If there were the political will there could be an ad hoc tribunal established to hear allegations of war crimes. This could be done by the General Assembly acting under Article 22 of the UN Charter which gives them the authority to establish subsidiary bodies.' But they did not do so. A Human Rights Watch investigation found that Israel had repeatedly and indiscriminately fired white phosphorus over crowded areas of Gaza, killing and injuring civilians-

The Hon. Walt Secord: Point of order: My point of order relates to relevance. I remind the honourable member that the motion states: That this House notes that: (a) The NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel under the auspices of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies hosted a delegation of NSW Parliamentarians on a study mission to Israel from 6 January 2013 to 10 January 2013-

The Hon. Lynda Voltz: You cannot read the whole motion.

The Hon. Walt Secord: I am just reminding the member of the motion.

The Hon. Lynda Voltz: Get to your point of order.

The Hon. Walt Secord: It was relevance.

The Hon. Lynda Voltz: Relevance has already been raised.

The Hon. Walt Secord: This speech is simply an anti-Israel rant.

The Hon. Lynda Voltz: You are trying to stop democratic debate in the Chamber.

The Hon. Walt Secord: This is simply an anti-Israel rant and he is not speaking to the motion.

The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane: That is rubbish, and you know it.

Deputy-President (The Hon. Paul Green): Order! The Hon. Walt Secord is correct. Members have the motion in front of them, or have access to the motion. While I have been generous in general about speeches, the Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane needs to stay within the purview of the motion and not give a lengthy history.

The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane: If ever there were a group in need of international protection from war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing it is the Palestinians, and yet the Palestinians receive little outside help.

The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: They received billions from the UN. [Notice how one little yappie can set off another?]

The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane: In 1982 Israel invaded Lebanon.

The Hon. Peter Phelps: Billions.

The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane: Deputy-President, I did not interrupt other speakers. I let them make their speeches without interruption. Previous speakers had the opportunity to speak without interruption and I ask that the same courtesy be shown to me. I have only 4 minutes left to speak. I have the right to inject some balance into this debate. I am glad that I am a member of this House and have the opportunity to speak and inject balance and humanity into this debate. I have that right and I have 4 minutes to do so.

The Hon. Matthew Mason-Cox: Point of order: Could the Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane retire while I take my point of order?

Deputy-President (The Hon. Paul Green): Order! The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane will retire to his seat while a point of order is taken, as per the protocols of the House.

The Hon. Matthew Mason-Cox: I have listened with tolerance to the member. I take a point of order based on relevance. This is a motion about a study mission to Israel and members have noted the facts in relation to that study mission. The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane did not even go on the study mission. He is having a little rant about personal issues. The motion is about a study mission to Israel, nothing more, nothing less. The House has been more than tolerant in listening to some of the garbage he has been talking about. [Now we've got 3 little yappies!]

The Hon. Trevor Khan: To the point of order. Whilst I agree with the Hon. Matthew Mason-Cox with regard to the words of the motion, speakers have raised a very broad range of matters. It is my argument that having allowed broad discretion in the debate so far and, to be frank, having allowed a scab to be picked, the Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane is entitled to have his say. He has only a few minutes left in which to speak.

Deputy-President (The Hon. Paul Green): Order! I ask the Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane to address his remarks to the motion. Mr David Shoebridge was given an opportunity to speak on a range of matters and I will extend the same latitude to the Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane.

The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane: As I stated, all people have a right to a peaceful existence and so do the Palestinian people. I want this House to know that and I want that comment recorded. They, as well as the Jewish people have a right to peaceful existence and to a homeland. [There he goes again. Vic Alhadaff, who has a homeland - Australia - has a right to another homeland in Palestine?] We have heard comments about how peaceful and democratic the Israeli government is. I remind the House that in 1982 when Israel invaded Lebanon and then occupied it for 18 years, they imprisoned people. People in southern Lebanon were tortured. I visited the camps and I saw the prisons. I invite members to go to these torture camps that the Israelis set up in southern Lebanon and see for themselves. They occupied Lebanon for 18 years. I resent members here accusing the resistance of being terrorist groups. I salute the resistance. If the resistance in Lebanon had not forced the Israelis out of Lebanon, I would not have been able to go to my grandparents' home in south Lebanon and visit the land I was born in. I salute them for their resistance. It is the right of people to do so. Imagine what the response would have been in 1941 or 1942 if we had condemned resistance against Nazi Germany. In Lebanon the resistance was able to force the Israelis out. In 2006, towards the end of the Israeli war on Lebanon, they dropped 3 million cluster bombs on little south Lebanon. Those bombs are buried in the ground. A child walking there will be blown up or lose a limb. An animal walking there will die. Three million cluster bombs will exist there for hundreds of years and people will continue to suffer. In conclusion-[Time expired.]

Next in the Doing the Donkey* in the NSW Knesset series: Lynda Voltz MLC. Stay tuned.

[*See my 2/3/13 post Doing the Donkey.]

[*See my 7/12/11 post Witches Brew 10; **Secord champions Israel in Parliament.]

A Fabulous Friendship

This is not the real story:

"It was just before question time that the Great Spill Kerfuffle began, a panic in the press gallery that a delegation of ministers was giving Julia Gillard a taste of what Kevin Rudd experienced that bumpy June day in 2010. It was news to the PM, who emerged from her office - shoulder resolutely untapped - to find a phalanx of television cameras and photographers recording her walk to question time. On and on it kept building, before blowing out in a puff of nothing. We hear it started with the stationing of some burly federal wallopers outside the office of former attorney-general and retiring MP Robert McClelland. This triggered talk the PM was paying a visit and there could be the prospect of a by-election, an early election or even... a leadership change. Rumours spread and metamorphosed, cameras rolled and Twitter went bananas." (Strewth, A spill wind, James Jeffrey, The Australian 15/3/13)

This is:

"So, what actually happened? Israeli ambassador Yuval Rotem had popped in on his old friend McClelland, complete with the gift of a very nice bottle of plonk. The federal coppers Rotem had arrived with stayed outside and, well things got a tad out of hand." (ibid)

Of course, while few mainstream journalists, least of all those writing for the Murdoch press, would find the story of an Israeli ambassador, complete with Federal Police escort, bearing a gift to a federal politician of interest, others might.

Old friends, eh?

Now I do recall reading recently* that McClelland had been briefed by ASIO on Ben Zygier's arrest in Israel in January 2010 but was keeping the contents of the briefing to himself, a state of affairs which must have come as an enormous relief to the Israelis at the time. Nor has he since seen fit to release details of its contents to the press, a position no doubt much appreciated by the Israelis.

Make of that what you will.

When all is said and done, however, I guess Canberra, being Canberra, it must be rife with these fabulous, long-standing friendships between politicians and ambassadors, such that the latter, cops and all, are wont to drop in at Parliament House any old time and share a glass of whatever.

How very touching!

[*See my 9/3/12 post Prisoner X: Well Hello...?]

Raise a Glass to the Good Old Days

Things were so much simpler back in 1922:

"Fuller was an easy-going indolent Premier who spent most of his time gossiping in the Premier's office. Like his predecessors he, too, had an overseas trip. When he got back the reporters asked him if he discovered anything new. He told them he had. While in Scotland he had discovered a new brand of Scotch whisky called Glen Kenchie, and if there had been nothing else, that had justified the cost of his trip to the State [NSW]." (The Turbulent Years, J.T. Lang, 1970, p 54)

OK, Sir George may have been a bit of a bugger but if all he brought back with him from a trip to the Old Dart was a crate of Glen Kenchie no great harm was done.

But these days? Just look at them:

"On its 10th anniversary, the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council's (AIJAC's) Rambam Fellowship program has received the ultimate vote of approval from Israeli Ambassador Yuval Rotem. In the last 10 years, more than 400 politicians, union leaders, journalists and student leaders have travelled to Israel to experience the realities of life on the ground there as a result of the program... 'The visits, the meetings and the follow-up,' [said Rotem,] '... are developing a generation of public servants and elected officials who are more aware, better informed and sufficiently equipped with information and knowledge to challenge those who try to undermine the very existence of my people and my state.'... AIJAC executive director Dr Colin Rubenstein added, 'In essence, Rambam has been our best effort to objectively convey the political and social realities on the ground in Israel and in the region, warts and all.'" (Rambam reunion, The Australian Jewish News, 7/9/12)

Over four hundred Australian politicians (or wannabes), dumb and/or undignified enough to fall for a cheap little propaganda stunt, have returned to these shores armed with Israeli talking points and ready to assume the missionary position when required for a state founded on ethnic cleansing and wholesale theft, whose salient features today are the rampant colonization of occupied territories, apartheid laws, serial aggressions and contempt for international law.

Oh, and the suborning of dumb and/or undignified Western politicians.

Sir George Fuller would be turning in his grave.

The Essence of Israel

"Israel must be like a mad dog, too dangerous to bother." Moshe Dayan

Although Australia plays host to hundreds of foreign ambassadors, you'll usually only ever see one hogging the opinion pages of our newspapers - Yuval Rotem, the Israeli ambassador.

Today, for example, he's popped up on the The Australian's opinion page with Cause for Israel stronger after boycott attempts, an edited extract of a speech given to the NSW Parliamentary Israeli Friendship Group on Tuesday.

Yuval's wonderful speech contains heaps of highlights and piles of pearls.

Did you know, for example that:

1) "John Howard... stood firm for freedom across the world at every opportunity"?

2) "Doc Evatt...helped to negotiate the re-foundation [!] of the state of Israel"?

3) "Common sense does not comply with vigilante local councils wreaking self-imposed economic sanction on one nation that is locked in a struggle for peace"?

4) "BDS in Australia has... become a media byline, like the S11 and G20 protests before it, for another failed movement of radical activists, which, shamefully, attached itself to a municipal council for a few months?"

5) "When we hear about BDS now, it's not coming from the mouths of prominent politicians and mayors or respected journals of record. It's being shouted from poorly attended protests, or from the back of police cars, or from the former communists who stayed with Stalin even after the Wall fell"?

6) "[Israel is] a tiny, miraculous country in the Middle East, awash with the principles of democracy, values of freedom and the colours of culture not enjoyed by the subjects of autocratic and theocratic regimes that surround [it]"?

But the following is my all-time favourite because something quite extraordinary occurs in it. Despite the bombast, Yuval manages to capture and communicate the very essence of Israel in just one word:

7) "It was another example of the way we defeat Israel's detractors in the West: using our minds, appealing to common sense and exhibiting that of which we are truly proud: our culture, our innovation, our way of life, our language, our technology, our teachings, our art - unleashing our contribution to the world."

Savage dogs are unleashed.

Thanks, Yuval, for that invaluable Dayanesque insight into exactly what it is that makes Israel Israel.

Media Tart

When was the last time you saw an interview with a foreign ambassador in The Sydney Morning Herald?

As usual, I stand to be corrected, but I can't remember one - ever. Why then has the Herald devoted an entire page of today's issue to a softly, softly, ever so softly, warm and fuzzy interview (by Damien Murphy) with Israel's ambassador to Australia, Yuval Rotem?

Israeli exceptionalism... again?

Ah, but the man's a star!

"Rotem is used to attention. He was a media darling in his previous posting in Los Angeles, thanks not only to the proximity of Hollywood's influential Jewish population." (Treading the halls of power)

Media darling... not only to? In cold, hard fact, not at all to it seems:

"Flush with the worldwide publicity generated by this summer's [2003] visit to Israel by actor Christopher Reeve, Ambassador Yuval Rotem of the Israel Consulate of Los Angeles said that in September he will 're-embark on this mission, to appeal to some people from the entertainment industry and ask them to pay a visit'. The paralyzed actor's high-profile July 28-August 1 visit - a story that drew worldwide media attention during a lull in Palestinian suicide bombings and Israeli countermeasures - may have prompted the LA diplomat to ask more of Hollywood. However, despite visits to Israel this year by Reeve, Whitney Houston and film producer Lawrence Bender, vocal support for Israel in Hollywood - including that of Hollywood's Jews - appears rare. 'For some reason in Hollywood', said independent filmmaker Henry Jaglom, 'people feel they have to take a stance - 'OK, I'm either pro-Israel or anti-Israel' - not that there are different ways to be pro-Israel. Jews are sort of scared to make their own case', Jaglom told The Journal. 'The word 'Zionism' becomes like a dirty word' ... Rotem began calling for more celebrities to visit Israel in speeches and other forums about 15 months ago, 'when I saw Oliver Stone spending 3 days with Yasser Arafat in the compound in Ramallah and [he] expressed... his sympathy with Yasser Arafat'. Aside from the Reeve visit, in which Rotem's office was directly involved, the diplomat said, 'I can't report to you that I've had a great success. It's not so easy to mobilize those people'." (Israel to seek celebrity support, David Finnigan, jewishjournal.com, 28/8/03)

Some media darling, darling!

Oh well, if even Hollywood's now giving you the cold shoulder, gather ye rosebuds where ye may:

"[Rotem] reached out to poor communities in East LA, especially Hispanics, and through his Howard Hughes-like habit of employing Mormons, a practice continued in Canberra."

Did he minister then, Mother-Theresa-like, to the Wretched of the Earth in the barrios of East LA, flanked by clean-cut, white-shirted bicycle-riders, dispensing recycled US tax dollars and Israeli flags, or did he merely give a job to a young Morman Zionist of Hispanic background?

Would you believe the latter?

As that young, hot-to-trot MZoHb, Mark Paredes, Rotem's LA press attache at the time, says: "[T] here is a growing realization in Jewish communities worldwide that they need allies, especially non-Jewish ones. Jewish leaders who might have hesitated to accept support from Christian churches 15 or 20 years ago are now showing up at Evangelical rallies and seeking to win over pastors at Protestant General Assemblies. It's a different world for Jewish interfaith outreach, and I firmly believe that there is a place for Mormons in it." (Jewish-Mormon relations: Mark Paredes leads the way, blogs.chron.com, 26/7/10)

Oh well, an Israeli ambassador's gotta do what an Israeli ambassador's gotta do, I guess.

"Here, Rotem is reaching out to Aboriginal communities, and his embassy is funding the Allira Aboriginal Knowledge IT Centre in Dubbo, which opened in September and aims to help local elders record their oral history and traditions." (Treading the halls of power, Damien Murphy)

A saint, I tell you, a saint! But ministering to the Wretched of the Earth in Dubbo is the least of it. Rotem also ministers to ministers and ministerial wannabes in Canberra:

"Groups of influential Australians are taking guided tours of Israel, proof, Rotem believes, of the continuing strength of the bilateral relationship despite interruption over the passports and the flotilla action."

All pull factors, of course.

Q & A time:

DM: "Post-Holocaust Israel was widely regarded in the West as a heroic endeavour, but it is not so clear cut any longer. What happened?"

YR: "It is a very fair question. But it is a question faced also by the Americans, the British and the French. The era has changed the world. Your enemy is not an army of a neighbouring country. Your enemy can be faceless. Your enemy can be in a cave. Your enemy can be using unknown cheque accounts and be trained in undislosed locations. Despite all your efforts... there may be 16, 17, 18 or so cuckoos who are trying to understand your way of life."

I may still be trying to get my head around that last sentence, but Murphy must have been happy with it because he breathlessly hurries on to pot Rotem's biography and describe how he'd been looking for a long-lost, Holocaust-era cousin ("even seeking help from the Mormon archives in Salt Lake City") and found him in Melbourne. Touched I was, touched.

But back to core business, defined by Rotem as "physically advancing Israeli affairs in Australia." Example: "In August Rotem took 40 Israeli companies and their water technology solutions to see if their strength in technology, science and IT could be useful to West Australian miners."

Of course, the delicate issue of Mossad's purloining of Australian passports for use by Israeli death squads had to come up, eliciting this enlightening comment (to which I've added some clarifications in square brackets): " Given the fact that Australia has been a constantly friendly country to Israel [ie a soft touch]... there was an issue. We took note of the Australian position and we both realised we needed to move forward [ie we didn't need the bad PR and they badly needed to fund an election campaign]. The beauty of this relationship between our two countries is that even if we have an issue we know how to overcome, we know how to move into repairing and reconstructing this relationship. I think the fact that we have so many visits from Australia to Israel is to some extent an indication and a test for good relationship [ie we whip 'em over to Israel, mess with their minds, mmm... innoculate 'em so to speak, and, hey presto, no more negative vibes!] ... if it was not on good terms, it would be more difficult to go back to business."

Apparently, it didn't occur to Murphy to ask when Israel was going to apologise to Australia in view of reports that it is about to apologise to Britain. Being in love means never having to say you're sorry, I guess.

WikiLeaks 7: When Israeli Eyes Are Smiling

And still they come:

"The Israeli ambassador to Australia found Kevin Rudd to be 'very pro-Israel' and senior Australian diplomats warned the former prime minister that his condemnation of Iran risked retaliation against Australia's embassy in Tehran, according to leaked US diplomatic cables. The secret cables, obtained by WikiLeaks and provided exclusively to the Herald, reveal the Israeli ambassador, Yuval Rotem, was pleased with Mr Rudd's 'very supportive' attitude towards Israel's position on the Middle East peace process and his strong attacks on the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad." (Israel praises Labor allies, Philip Dorling, Sydney Morning Herald, 13/12/10)

There's that name again, Yuval Rotem. Is it not obvious by now that Israel looms larger than it should in Australian foreign and domestic affairs? That something deeply dysfunctional, even downright kinky, is going on here? That Australia's real interests are far from being served by the clowns who misrepresent us?

And surely by now there's some inkling out there in ms media land that a certain steroidal state with Mediterranean views punches way above its weight in the Australian arena?

After all, as those WikiLeaks documents have informed us, it's Rotem who briefed DFAT officials when they wanted to know what Rudd was up to on the foreign policy front, Rotem who interrupted Stephen Smith's holiday to drum up support for his country's 2008-2009 wilding in Gaza, and Rotem to whom Gillard applied for an instant rambamming. (See my WikiLeaks 4 & 5)

So why is there still no comment anywhere in the Fairfax press - not an editorial*, not an op-ed, not a letter, not even a bloody tweet - on the propriety of Israel's apparently very central role in deciding where we're heading as a nation? [*Today's Herald editorial (Back to Mid-East drawing board), instead, bends over backwards to excuse Netanyahu and Obama for the current collapse of the so-called peace process.]

And here's Rudd, once so supportive of Israel's position on the Middle East peace process, now wailing in Cairo that "no real progress" has been made because "Israeli settlements on Palestinian land were 'destroying' the chances of peace," but, good Christian that he is, somehow finding it in his heart to forgive, because, as he mantra-ed, "Israel had security fears that needed to be taken into account." (ibid)

Israeli settlements are popping up on occupied Palestinian land faster than mushrooms after rain, but Rudd's always mindful that Israel's still not over its 62-year-old (and counting) anxiety attack. No point even mentioning Palestinian anxiety, of course. Rudd's compassion only goes so far.

Anyway, back to our script: "The leaked cables reveal that Israeli diplomats saw Mr Rudd as an important ally. Mr Rotem told US officials in July 2008 that during his first meeting with Mr Rudd after the 2007 federal election, the newly elected prime minister had described Mr Ahmadinejad as a 'loathsome individual on ever level' and [said] that his anti-Semitism 'turns my stomach'. The US embassy noted that while opposition leader, Mr Rudd had taken a 'very strong stance' on Iran, including calling for Mr Ahmadinejad to be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court for his calls for the destruction of Israel." (ibid)

So hot to trot is he, the silly bugger had to be hosed down by senior bureaucrats:

"The Israeli ambassador said that the secretary of the of the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Michael l'Estrange, and the director-general of the Office of National Assessments, Peter Varghese, had 'met several times to convince the PM to think through the consequences of his rhetoric on Iran'." (ibid)

So there were consequences to Rudd's pre-election brain snap? (See my 21/12/07 post Testing Time for Rudd) Apparently:

"Asked by the US embassy about whether Rudd's views on Iran had elicited any response, Mr Rotem said the Iranian government had reacted to the prime minister's statements by taking 'retaliatory measures' against the Australian embassy in Tehran. 'These measures made it harder for the embassy to conduct its day-to-day business', Mr Rotem observed. The Australian government has never publicly acknowledged any Iranian response to Mr Rudd's public criticism of Iran and its President." (ibid)

You mean the Australian embassy in Tehran was stormed and our diplomats held hostage? And we weren't told about it? OK, that was the US embassy in 1979, but still. So did any Fairfax journalist bother to get a response from the Iranians when Rudd's 'We're taking that loathsome individual to court' madness was doing the rounds? (For Rudd's eventual emergence from this particular brain snap, see my 16/10/08 post Rudd QC Ceases to Act)

"Mr Rotem went on to tell tell the US embassy that Israel saw Australia 'as playing an important role in the 'global PR battle' on Iran because PM Rudd is viewed favourably by the 'European Left', many of whom are sceptical about taking a tough line towards Tehran'. The ambassador said Israeli officials would normally have been concerned at the prospect of a Labor government: 'However, this was not the case because Rudd had long gone out of his way to stress his strong commitment to Israel and appreciation for its security concerns'. Commenting that DFAT officials are very frank in expressing their annoyance with the PM's micromanaging of foreign policy issues, Rotem laughingly said that 'while I understand their point of view, how can I complain about having that kind of attention from the PM'." (ibid)

A willing tool in Israel's PR arsenal. One who goes out of his way to please. Why, he practically throws himself at us!

And the pretender to the throne? She's not exactly playing hard to get:

"The Israeli ambassador's enthusiasm for the Labor government extended to the deputy prime minister Julia Gillard, with the US embassy reporting in January last year that Mr Rotem was 'very satisfied' with the Australian response to Israel's military offensive in Gaza. 'Rotem said he had been impressed with acting PM Julia Gillard, who has taken the lead in co-ordinating the [Australian government] public and private response to the Gaza fighting... Rotem said that Gillard and [national security adviser Duncan] Lewis have been very understanding of Israel's military action, while stressing the need to minimise civilian casualties and address humanitarian concerns'. Mr Rotem said Ms Gillard's public statements surprised many Israeli embassy contacts as being 'far more supportive than they had expected'." (ibid)

Another who goes out of her way to please. Why, she's even hotter to trot than he is! Did you notice her batting her eyelashes at me?

"The ambassador added that he would be 'playing to Rudd's vanity' to encourage him to pay an early visit to Israel and continue to speak out in support of a hard line against Iran's nuclear ambitions." (ibid)

Proof - if proof were needed - that our 'leaders' are putty in Israel's hands.

Next post: WikiLeaks 8: No, Prime Minister

WikiLeaks 5: Israel Runs Bang Through It

Today's WikiLeaks blast in the Fairfax press is a beauty:

"US diplomats closely followed the rise of Julia Gillard, applauded her shedding of Labor Left allegiances and confidently predicted that she would be the next prime minister more than 8 months before she deposed Kevin Rudd... Although an early report by the then ambassador, Robert McCallum, said Ms Gillard was 'a loyal and competent deputy', US diplomats had no doubt about her ambitions and as early as June 2008 declared her the 'front runner' to replace Mr Rudd. US diplomats were anxious to establish Ms Gillard's attitudes towards the US alliance and other key foreign policy issues, especially on Israel and Palestine. They were hampered by the fact that the embassy had relatively little contact with her during Labor's years in opposition. Numerous Labor figures were drawn into conversation about Ms Gillard with 'many key ALP insiders' quickly telling embassy officers that her past membership of the Victorian Socialist Left faction meant little and that she was 'at heart a pragmatist'. The NSW Right powerbroker Mark Arbib* described Ms Gillard as 'one of the most pragmatic politicians in the ALP'. When embassy officers reminded Paul Howes, the head of the right-wing Australian Workers Union, that 'ALP politicians from the Left, no matter how capable, do not become party leader, he said immediately: 'but she votes with the Right'. The embassy privately expressed pleasure at Ms Gillard's preparedness to affirm her support for the US alliance, but there was some doubt about the strength of her commitment. 'Although long appearing ambivalent about the Australia-US Alliance, Gillard's actions since she became the Labor Party number two indicate an understanding of its importance', the embassy reported to Washington in mid-2008. '[US embassy political officers] had little contact with her when she was in opposition but since the election, Gillard has gone out of her way to assist the embassy... At our request, she agreed to meet a visiting member of the [US] National Labor Relations Board, after prior entreaties by the board members' Australian hosts had been rebuffed. Although warm and engaging in her dealings with American diplomats, it's unclear whether this change in attitude reflects a mellowing of her views or an understanding of what she needs to do to become leader of the ALP', the embassy reported. 'It is likely a combination of the two. Labor Party officials have told us that one lesson Gillard learned from the 2004 elections was that Australians will not elect a PM who is perceived to be anti-American'. " (Embassy supported pragmatic Gillard, Philip Dorling, Sydney Morning Herald, 9/12/10)

I'll just stop here for some observations.

Well, there's that word again - Israel. Feel a theme coming on? More of that later.

First, am I imagining things or is it the case that the US here is involved in a process - or at least verging on involvement in a process - of choosing our prime ministers for us? That bit about reminding Howes that ALP politicians of the Left do not become party leader, that bit about an understanding of what she needs to do. Most interesting...

Second, that bit about the embassy being hampered by the fact that it had relatively little contact with her during Labor's years in opposition doesn't quite gell with the following revelation from ubiquitous former Labor leader and critic of the Australia-US alliance, Mark Latham. Remember here the above cable is from 2008: "Over the years I have received tender messages from Gillard saying how much she misses me in Canberra... One of them concerned her study tour of the US, sponsored by the American government in 2006 - or to use her moniker - 'a CIA re-education course'... She promised 'to catch up when I'm back from the US and I'll show you my CIA-issued ankle holster'. I never got to see her ankles or her holster, but I will say this: you have to hand it to those guys in Washington... Within the space of 2 years they converted her from a highly cynical critic of all matters American into yet another foreign policy sycophant'." (Latham turns on 'brainwashed' Gillard, Christian Kerr, The Australian, 20/8/09) See my 22/8/09 post Gillard: 'Sycophant'.

Poor old Mark, he thought Gillard was a highly cynical critic of all matters American when, cavernously hollow woman that she is, she was just saying what she had to say - or thought she had to say - to climb the Labor ladder at the time.

But I digress. Let's get back to our theme - the one that runs bang through all of this -Israel:

"The embassy also applauded what it describes as Ms Gillard's 'pro-Israel' stance, reporting in October 2009 that she had 'thrown off the baggage' of being from what one analyst called the 'notoriously anti-Israel faction' of the ALP. 'As acting Prime Minister in late December 2008, Gillard was responsible for negotiating the government's position on Israel's incursion into Gaza. Left-wing ALP MPs, a group to which Gillard used to belong, wanted her to take a harder line against Israel. 'Instead, she said Hamas had broken the ceasefire first by attacking Israel - a stance welcomed by Israel's supporters in Australia. MP Michael Danby, one of two Jewish members of parliament and a strong supporter of Israel, told us that after the Gaza statement he had a new appreciation of Gillard's leadership within the ALP'." (ibid)

Actually, Gillard was never anti-Israel, not even at university. She knew nothing of the issue and had no interest in finding out about it. Every inch the professional whatever-it-takes politician, she knew instinctively even then that putting one's career first and a real concern for the Palestinian wretched of the earth - or any other for that matter - don't go together. So it's not as if she had to be re-educated. (See my 14/8/10 post The Real Julia Gillard.)

But there's more, much more. In my 8/12/10 post WikiLeaks 4: Let's ask Rotem, he'll know, I mused as follows: "Now how about a WikiLeaks cable reporting [Israeli Ambassador Yuval] Rotem describing [Gillard] as prime ministerial material." Well, how's this for Dorling's final paragraph: "The Israeli Ambassador, Yuval Rotem, told the embassy that Gillard 'has gone out of her way to build a relationship with Israel and that she asked him to arrange an early opportunity to visit'." (ibid)

She asked him! Ambassador, I feel the siren call of your country. I can resist no longer. I am ready to be rambammed. Organise it at once, will you?

Typically, there's not a whisper anywhere in either today's Age or Sydney Morning Herald, not even on the letters page, of our theme. What does that tell you?

[*I'll deal with Arbib and friends in my next post.]