Australia has supported a United Nations General Assembly resolution which called for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent” ceasefire in Gaza.
It passed with the overwhelming support of 158 member nations.
There was no requirement that Hamas be removed from Gaza, and it called for the UN’s Palestinian aid agency, UNRWA, to be given unhindered access to Gaza.
The resolution did not tie the ceasefire to the release of the rest of the Israeli hostages In Gaza.
It’s believed between 50 and 70 of them may still be alive.
The latest vote came just over a week since Australia joined 156 other countries in demanding the end of Israel’s “unlawful presence in the Palestinian territories” of Judea, Samaria and Gaza.
Australia’s ambassador to the UN, James Larsen, said Australia had reservations about the wording of the resolutions, but voted for them because it was committed to ending the suffering in the Palestinian enclave.
“The current situation in Gaza is catastrophic, the human suffering unbearable. Israel must take urgent action to alleviate this humanitarian crisis, in line with the binding orders of the International Court of Justice,” he said.
Australia’s stance marked a two-decade change to its policy at the UN and a split from key allies the United States and Israel, who both voted against the motion.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion said the ceasefire resolution was “immoral” in expecting Israel to “betray its own citizens”.
“By calling for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the General Assembly is effectively demanding that Israel abandon the hostages to their fate, and allow the Hamas terrorists to re-establish themselves as the de facto rulers of Gaza,” he said.
“If this resolution were to be put into effect, it would be a green light to Hamas to regroup, rearm and prepare for a terrorist attack against Israel,” Mr. Aghion declared.
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive manager Joel Burnie said the government had again voted for a resolution “that is starkly at odds with its own policy”.
“It calls for an ‘immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire’ – an outcome guaranteed to leave Hamas permanently in control over Gaza – even though both the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have repeatedly called for Hamas to play no future role in ruling Gaza,” he explained.
Israel government spokesperson David Mencer told Sky News: “Our Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] has said that anti-Israel sentiment, coming from the (Australian) Labor government is leading to anti-Semitism.”
“Anti-Israel rhetoric leads to attacks on Jews. It’s incitement. It’s actually what Hamas and Iran are also engaged in. Incitement against the Jewish state leads to physical attacks on Jews.”
“The recent anti-Semitic attacks in Australia, including the firebombing of Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue, and two separate acts in the Sydney suburbs of Woollahra and Arncliffe, were linked to Labor’s position on Israel.”
“I’ll be straight with you, Israel does believe that it is impossible to separate the reprehensible act of burning down a synagogue for heaven’s sake, from the extreme anti-Israeli position of your Labor government in Australia. It brings me no pleasure to say that whatsoever,” Mr. Mencer lamented.
Mr. Netanyahu last week lashed Australia’s position at the UN, labelling its decision to call for Israel to end its presence in Palestinian territories as “scandalous”.
He also called for Australian authorities to act following the “abhorrent” attack on the Melbourne synagogue.
The Palestinian Authority’s representatives in Australia have trumpeted Labor’s efforts to increase their power in the UN and called for more funding for the UNRWA aid agency which allegedly has ties to Hamas.
