It’s baby steps, but the recent decision by NSW Labor in support of Palestine represents progress, with more on the way predicts Michael Brull.
NSW Labour has committed as policy to recognising Palestine as a state. In a sense, this is a purely symbolic move. It puts virtually no pressure on Israel. It doesn’t really highlight any particular human rights violations in Palestine. It doesn’t commit Australia or the ALP to any particular measures. Some may dismiss the motion.
Yet that overlooks the dynamics that have been involved in the campaign to push the motion. It has meant substantial parts of the ALP organising to confront the Israel lobby, publicly campaigning against Israeli actions, and widespread activism on Palestine.
It has also meant media scrutiny on Israeli policy, and the bullying of the Israel lobby. Fairfax ran a storyrecently on what Bob Carr called “furious” lobbying by the Israeli embassy against the NSW motion. They also ran an account from Australian journalist John Lyon’s memoirs of the bullying of Bob Carr by Labor MPs Michael Danby and Mark Dreyfus.
Read the full article by Michael Brull at NewMatilda.com.