Photo of part of the crowd at the Israel Solidarity Rally in Sydney on 3 August 2014.
Total final attendance
estimated at 10,000 .
Many Christian groups joined with the Jewish community,
including an order of nuns , the Sisters of Sion.
MESSAGE FROM FEDERAL ALP MPs TO ISRAEL SOLIDARITY RALLY IN SYDNEY, 3
AUGUST 2014
Australia’s friendship with Israel
is a strong and enduring partnership. It is a partnership that goes back to the
founding of modern Israel, when Australia cast the first vote in favour of
creating the modern State of Israel in the United Nations.
Today, Australia’s relationship with
Israel is built on the same robust foundations that founded our friendship
generations ago: shared democratic values and a common commitment to justice
and to the rights, liberty and security of our citizens.
It is in this context that we once
again affirm our support for the State of Israel to live in peace within secure
borders. And we also affirm our support for Israel to defend its citizens
against attacks by a Hamas, a terrorist organization that continues to reject
Israel’s very right to exist.
In a statement issued on Thursday
this week, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Shadow Foreign Minister Tanya
Plibersek issued a statement that included the following:
“Labor deplores the abuse of
civilian facilities for military purposes, including a Gaza school that was
used to hide rockets.
Hamas must stop firing rockets into Israel -
more than 2600 so far, and Israel must restrain its response, which has cost
far too many civilian lives.”
All
civilized nations deplore the loss of innocent lives. And as the IDF continues
to defend Israel against rocket attacks by Hamas, we call on Israel to continue to extend its efforts to
avoid civilian casualties in its response.
We also
support the right of all peoples to protest policies that they disagree
with. But what we have seen at times over recent weeks, alongside the
legitimate protests and the heartfelt concerns of people appalled at the loss
of innocent lives, is a resurgence of anti-Semitism. Around the world
synagogues have been attacked, blatantly anti-Semitic messages have been
emblazoned on placards and social media sites, and anti-Semitic stereotypes
have found their way back into the mainstream media. And here in Australia too,
anti-Semitism has been rearing its ugly head.
So while we
will always support the right of people to speak their minds, to protest, and
to advocate for change, we abhor racism in all its forms, and we do not support
a right to anti-Semitic hate speech and bigotry of the kind we have been
seeing.
We conclude
by reiterating that Labor’s support for Israel has been steadfast since
before the modern state was founded.
Our support has also been steadfast throughout the long
peace process, which is the only path out of the conflict that in the last
month has once again erupted into violence, causing untold suffering on both
sides. Specifically, Labor is committed to supporting an enduring and just
two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, based on the right of
Israel to live in peace within secure borders internationally recognised and
agreed by the parties, and reflecting the legitimate aspirations of the
Palestinian people to also live in peace and security within their own state.
Thank you.
The Hon Mark Dreyfus QC MP
Senator Deborah O’Neill
The Hon Bernie Ripoll MP
MESSAGE
FROM PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE PRIME MINISTER TO ISRAEL SOLIDARITY RALLY
IN SYDNEY, 3 AUGUST 2014
At this most
difficult time for Israel and international Jewry, my heart goes out to all the
families who have had members killed or wounded as we pray for an end to the
violence.
Israel as a
freedom loving democracy in a sea of instability and antagonism to her, has the
right to defend itself against terrorist attacks and protect all its citizens.
Hamas has
proven that it is no partner for peace and with it at the helm in Gaza, a
necessary negotiated two state solution seems tragically to be a long way away.
I thank all
of you here today for Standing Up For Israel
Josh
Frydenberg MP
Federal
member for Kooyong
Parliamentary
Secretary to the Prime Minister
No comments:
Post a Comment