A series of letters in response to the Carr-inspired moves by elements in the ALP to psuh for recognition of a Palestinian state.
What is “cruel” and “foul”, Bob Carr, about the Palestinians is their treatment by other Arab nations (“Carr attacks Israel’s ‘foul’ occupation”, 5/7). They are kept in refugee camps in Lebanon and Syria for decades and denied citizenship or resettlement and other basic human rights.
No Arab country, other than Jordan, allows them to become citizens thereby perpetuating the Palestinian refugees and their fictional right of return to homes in mandate-era Palestine as a demographic weapon against democratic Israel. That some Palestinians and their descendants living in Palestinian towns in the West Bank are still counted as refugees by the UN goes against all logic.
In the wake of the Six-Day War in 1967 when Israel offered to return the West Bank to Jordan and Gaza to Egypt, eight Arab heads of state issued a declaration that there would be “no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with it”.
Your story on Bob Carr’s attack on Israel was a great analysis about the internal Labor politics on Palestinian recognition, but ignored the moral imperative to be on the right side of history. While the recording obtained by The Australian might seem to be a scoop, the commentary given by Carr in his talk is mainstream around the world.
The Israeli government is the most right-wing government in the country’s history; statements from Israeli ministers about denying Palestinian statehood and entrenching the occupation are commonplace. The regularisation bill Carr bemoans has been condemned around the world.
The headline points to the truth — Israel’s occupation is indeed foul. Australia’s recognition of Palestine would indicate to our close ally Israel that we will not abide their oppression of Palestinians in perpetuity.
Bob Carr’s facile solution to a century of hatred and conflict is to “recognise” the sovereignty of a group that has incited hatred and promoted terrorism since the Arab riots of the 1920s in Jaffa.
Today, Palestinian leaders continue to reject all offers of territory and peace, preferring to incite hatred and glorify “martyrdom”, seeking to destroy, not coexist peacefully, with Israel or any Jews among them.
Bob Carr is correct in pushing for Australia to recognise the state of Palestine for two main reasons: first, not to do so encourages Israel to continue with its illegal and immoral appropriation of Palestinian land.
Second, it is logically and practically absurd to support a two-state solution — as both main parties claim to do at present — while recognising only one player as constituting a state. To maintain this position of refusing to recognise the right of Palestine to exist ensures that in any negotiations Palestine is placed in a position of being a supplicant, not an equal party.
I am bewildered by Bob Carr’s attack on Israel. With whom can Israel negotiate a two-state solution? Or does Carr support the ambitions of Hamas — which controls Gaza — to drive every Israeli into the sea?
As for Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian territory on the West Bank, he has not held elections in the past 12 years, and his hold on power is tenuous, at best. Furthermore, he speaks out of both sides of his mouth.
I suggest that instead of grandstanding at Labor meetings, Carr appoint himself as conciliator-in-chief and see if he can bring Hamas and Abbas to a negotiating table with Benjamin Netanyahu.
Bob Carr has been anti-Israel for some time now. Australian politicians are predictably falling into different categories, depending on who they think will give them the most votes.
This dismisses the real history of Israel and Palestine. For many decades Israel has been an oasis of democracy, enlightenment, secularism and scientific advancement. In contrast Palestine has Hamas, Hezbollah, terrorism, first strike rocket attacks, and suicide bombers.
Still, Israel provides power, education, jobs and medical care to Palestinians. Every attempt at a peaceful solution has been scuttled by Palestine. This is the country that people such as Carr support over Israel.