The Australian government backs away from considering West Jerusalem the capital of Israel

Written by Khaled Ghannam – Sydney – Australia

26/10/2023

Activists’ hopes to change traditional ways of decision-making have triumphed within Australia’s most important party: the Australian Labor Party; The Australian-Israeli rapprochement was taken steps back during the first six months of Anthony Albanese’s government:

The first step was to allow charities to transfer financial aid to the Gaza Strip, with less security oversight. Note that the previous government: the government of the Liberal Party; Last March, Hamas declared a terrorist organization and prohibited any form of support for it, including humanitarian aid. Humanitarian aid papers were deliberately mixed between governmental and private, within the participation of the former Australian government in supporting the Israeli government to be able to tighten the siege on the Gaza Strip and dry up the sources of Financing terrorism and punishing the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is a collective punishment for putting pressure on the armed resistance. However, the current Labor Party government gave the green light to return the situation to what it was before last March, regarding non-governmental humanitarian aid, but it kept Hamas in the list of terrorist organizations, and it officially confirmed the inclusion of Hamas in the list on 6-10- 2022.

The second step: the Australian government’s refusal to support the US project in the United Nations on “human rights violations”; Australia refused to sign a statement, along with more than two dozen other countries, issued by the United States regarding an investigation into human rights violations in Palestine and Israel. A statement by US Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council Michelle Taylor asserted that Israel has been unfairly targeted by the UN Human Rights Council. “Australia agrees that the Human Rights Council imposes disproportionate scrutiny on Israel,” said Amanda Gorely, Australia’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva. We do not support the suggestion that Israel is the only country with a standing item on the agenda of the Human Rights Council, which is why Australia has not and will not participate in item 7 of the Council debate, and why we reserve our core concerns about the nature of the commission of inquiry. Australia’s guiding principle is to advance the cause of peace. Our political vision is opposed to supporting the viewpoint of one of the parties because our ultimate goal is their reconciliation and their reaching peace.”

The third step: Increasing financial support for UNRWA, as the Australian government doubled UNRWA’s funding from $10 million to $20 million annually. “Until a just and sustainable solution to the refugee situation is found, UNRWA is the only organization with the mandate and central role to provide relief and social services to Palestine refugees in the region,” Penny Wong said in a statement.

Step Four: The Australian government is retracting its view of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, which is the most daring step, according to Australian political analysts. Although the move was theatrical; To mitigate its impact on the public level, as well as reduce the risk of its impact on Australian-Israeli relations. It began with a press leak to the Australian Guardian newspaper confirming that there have been fundamental amendments to the information on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

These amendments cancelled the Australian government’s recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, followed by the official statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs that she is re-announcing a decision she had made since 2018, and her position is not recent, and that the previous government was not serious about recognizing West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and kept the Australian embassy In Tel Aviv, and that former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison played a dirty political game to woo the Jewish community in the Wentworth constituency as part of the Liberal Party’s campaign to win the district seat in the by-election after the resignation of Malcolm Turnbull, and the awareness of the Jewish community was high and did not vote for the Liberal Party candidate but rather Vote for an independent candidate. We said at the time that this method is dirty and foreign policy cannot be drawn within this narrow horizon. We are with the negotiations that lead to a two-state solution, and the Quds issue is one of the final status issues, and we hope to help create the atmosphere for the start of negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians with the help of the international community.

However, some Australian political observers link the declaration of the national security strategy file presented by His Excellency US President Joe Biden, which was officially issued on October 12, 2022, as part of his election campaign. He briefly addressed the Middle East file, recalling that the best option for resolving the conflict is the two-state solution through direct negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel. It stated: “We will also continue to promote ways of a two-state solution that preserves Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state, as well as fulfilling the aspirations of the Palestinians for a secure and viable state of their own. As His Excellency President Joe Biden stated during his visit to the West Bank in July 2022, “Two states along the 1967 lines, coexisting with each other, and this agreed formula will remain the best way to achieve equal security, prosperity, freedom and democracy for the Palestinians as well as for the Israelis.”)

This linkage comes from the nature of the Australian-American alliance based on complete congruence in foreign policy, especially that the political thought of the American Democratic Party and the Australian Labor Party is harmonious regarding all international files. And that there is a great influence of the United States of America in all Australian political parties, and the Australian government cannot risk taking any major decision without an American green light.

As for the possibility of the current Australian government recognizing an independent Palestinian state; Labor party leaders also promised their fans, and as confirmed by the Labor Party’s General National Congress in 2018. However, there are other Labor party leaders who confirm that this issue is not binding on the Australian government and is considered a major risk to Australian-American relations. It is a red line that we do not expect to be part of Joe Biden’s program and there is a very important note to understand the nature of the declaration of the independent Palestinian state that it came in the form of a platform presented by the conference; It was not discussed or voted upon to make a Resolution binding on the elected government. Some also assert that the end of the political current of former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was due to his criticism of Israel for using forged passports in the assassination of Palestinian leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai on 1/19/2010. The issue of political risk has a ceiling that cannot be crossed, and the limits of political manoeuvring are limited in international issues that do not constitute a supreme Australian interest, but rather it is a moral issue rather than a political one.

There are also some press analyzes confirming that this step was taken in coordination with the Israeli side, as Hamas was re-listed in the Australian list of terrorist organizations before the decision to withdraw from considering West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and these two decisions are for local marketing, and will not change the nature of the Australian-Israeli relationship However, the Labor Party urgently needs them as part of the party’s electoral propaganda in the state parliament elections that will be held in the first quarter of next year. These analyzes come within the exclusion of discussing Middle East issues at the Labor Party preparatory conference in New South Wales, although the conference discussed other international issues related to the war in Ukraine and the relationship with China and the Pacific countries, as well as the issues of climate change and the international energy crisis.

When we asked about the mechanism for making a recommendation from the Labor Party Congress in the state of New South Wales to the General National Congress of the Labor Party regarding the transformation of the Declaration of the Independent Palestinian State from the form of the Platform to the form of Resolution so that it becomes binding on the elected Labor government; The answers were illogical. One of the party cadres told me that he would pass them on to one of the members who promised him that he would try to bring them up for discussion. Another told me that he seeks to raise the issue with his friends in the American Democratic Party, and some told me this is an issue that will not serve the Palestinians, as it is ink on paper; We must seek to support genuine negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians; And that this issue is being discussed in the corridors of the American Democratic Party, and we are ready to help if we are asked to do so.

As for the role of the godfather of the project to recognize the Palestinian state, the former foreign minister and leader in the Labor Party, Bob Carr, is a field man with a long-term practical thought, whose main goal is to increase the popularity of the Labor Party at a time of partisan disintegration and mass dispersal of his supporters, which caused the Liberal Party to win the federal elections for two consecutive terms. Since the Palestinian issue is an inclusive issue for the Arab and Islamic community, and the majority of the community resides in areas historically classified as voting for the Labor Party, It should have been at the top of the party’s programs, especially since Bob Carr is convinced of the idea, as he does not promote in a fox manner, but rather presents the idea that he actually defended even as a foreign minister, although the voices supporting Palestine in the Labor Party at that time were not strong to support his ideas.

For this, it was necessary for an Arab guerrilla to carry out this awareness campaign for the Arab Islamic community, MP Shawkat Maslamani, who became the voice of Palestine in all official forums, especially the Jamahiriya, and he always said: I believe that we can move the population. Politics moves if the masses move. The community’s negativity comes from the fact that it sees the Australian-Israeli relations as a constant, so let that be consistent. Whoever wants Israel’s interest must recognize the Palestinian state for peace to prevail. Shawkat Maslamani, this flexible interlocutor, has always been the loyal voice of Palestine. There are many voices in the Arab community, such as Eddie Zananiri., Hassan Moussa and others, who invent new ways to promote the idea of ​​recognizing the Palestinian state. It is a consensus statement for the community institutions.

The Liberal Party’s continued rule for seven long years, and its electoral victories came from its transparency with its right-wing audience. It was clearly practicing its liberal policies, but it neglected an important factor, that of immigrant votes, as its focus was on the traditional English public. It is the public that won him the elections. As for the Labor Party, its popularity has seriously declined due to its lack of alternative plans. Indeed, those who follow its policies during that period will find that it is centrist or right-wing, and that it does not have a prospect for solving the country’s problems. For these reasons, the Labor Party lost the federal elections in succession. The decision of the Political Bureau of the party came to the need for a comprehensive review of the party’s policies, especially the internal files related to membership. The youth of the Labor Party began marketing for an open popular dialogue in universities as well as in cultural clubs, and many issues were discussed regarding the integration problems of new immigrants. and their political orientation.

Concern of Arab and Islamic communities, there were three important matters that caused the reluctance of the members of the community to engage in political work: –

• Weak representation of the members of the Arab and Islamic community in leadership positions to participate in decision-making, especially those related to their areas of residence, and help in solving the problems of their integration into society. This real problem was raised within the hidden policy known as white Australia, and racial discrimination against everything that is not English in a country that has officially got rid of this policy since 1973. However, some believe that it is continuing in an undisclosed manner. In another context, the second generation of immigrants, those whose parents immigrated to Australia, while they were educated in Australian schools, have become a societal crisis, as they do not differ scientifically from their English colleagues at school, except that their skin is olive, and their religion is not Prostatic. The Labor Party tried, as much as possible, to overcome this dilemma by nominating a few immigrants for some leadership positions, and for this approach its popularity increased, as it won many seats due to this new approach. Other Australian parties have followed the same approach, but it was too late, but the outlook calls for optimism regarding the presence of immigrants in decision-making centers.
• The Anti-Terrorism Law, which was dedicated to the Islamic community and the relationship of some of its members with extremist Islamic organizations, where the rights of Australian citizenship were completely violated, and individuals were criminalized by their conviction. Australian Special Forces arbitrarily stormed homes and commercial establishments installed surveillance cameras inside mosques and searched. Racism for everyone who has war features in train stations and airports, and many racist matters within the collective punishment of the Islamic community, for reasons that will be studied in detail later. We had previously published in February in the Intilaaqah Center for Studies the Listed terrorist organisations under Australian law in 2022, and here the government has changed and issued its updates that did not change anything important in the register, so that all workers with Islamic organizations are criminalized even if no Australian has been harmed before Such organizations as the Islamic Jihad Movement. The report also does not criminalize any Zionist organization that carries out aggressive acts against Palestinian civilians, but it states that one of the reasons for classifying these organizations as terrorist is that their future actions may cause the killing of Australians during their visit to the State of Israel. Perhaps the biggest crime committed by the previous Al-Ahrar government was its decision that Hamas is a terrorist movement and that it is forbidden to finance it or to finance employees of its affiliated institutions, including the ministries of the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip. This caused panic among the Palestinian community and the possibility of preventing them from sending money transfers to their families or charitable institutions.
• Openly siding with Israel, within a historical relationship that preceded the establishment of Israel itself. Australia participated in the 100-year celebration of the Battle of Beersheba, which the Australian cavalry forces fought against the Ottoman army, on the grounds that there is a religious duty that necessitates the establishment and defense of Israel, which is part of a popular religious belief in Australia. Certainly, the National Party is the closest to these ideas, The Liberal Party also has a firm position in support of the Zionist movement, and considers Australian-Israeli relations to have historical strength and consensus in future visions, which are promoted by official media biased to the Israeli narrative, and political positions supportive of everything issued by successive Israeli governments, and the criminalization of all hostiles to Israel.

From the foregoing, it appears that the government’s decision to reverse the recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel; It is for domestic consumption, and there is no prospect for the current Australian government to recognize the Palestinian state in the near future, and the most optimistic expect an improvement in the Australian aid program, the possibility of expanding a program to include new sectors and new regions, and an increase in the financial grant to the Palestinian Authority, And that the role of the Australian government will be more balanced in international forums, and senior party leaders mentioned to me that the only country that discusses the Palestinian issue with the Australian government on an ongoing basis, and that it is the first to welcome the Australian decision regarding Jerusalem, is the Indonesian government, which is the most important neighbour of Australia at the present time. And it is an ally of Australia in its fears of the Chinese threat. As for the impact of Palestinian diplomatic work on the Australian decision-making regarding Jerusalem; Their answers were negative and that this file has not yet entered the stage of diplomatic discussion, a decision whose objectives are local and concerns the party’s relationship with the Arab and Islamic current, which has pressed, since the time of its issuance, and they obtained public assurances at the time from Penny Wong, who was the shadow foreign minister at the time.

There are also assurances from leaders in the Labor Party that the government decision related to Jerusalem was not outside the Labor Party’s action plan, which the government is implementing with strong commitment, and that this decision was not surprising to them, but that the Zionist lobby was aware of it more than a month before its issuance. The Zionist propaganda dealt with the decision as if the government would send an Australian army to fight Israel, but there is a clear Politics of Disinformation by the Israeli leaders who have included the issue in their electoral campaigns. They assured me that there was no special role for the specific institution of the Arab and Islamic community in the Australian decision-making regarding Jerusalem. Rather, it is a cumulative effort made by the institutions of the Arab and Islamic community in various states, as well as the real influence of Australian activists in the socialist movement, trade unions, as well as the Green Party. We cannot point out that this person or institution is behind the decision.

Perhaps the next step will be in the propaganda campaign of all Australian political parties in the elections for members of parliaments in states, specifically in New South Wales, as the state government is affiliated with the Liberal Party. For this reason, many Arab and Islamic community institutions issued statements stressing the importance of supporting the Labor Party’s program, and some even called for the necessity of actual membership in the Labor Party, even though the Green Party is closer to the Palestinian position, as well as many leftist parties. However, this movement is useful and the call for political participation is necessary. I regret that the study was limited to Sydney, but I assure that the Arab and Islamic community plays a similar role in various Australian cities.