Ambassador questions sponsored visits to Israel
April 13, 2009 by J-Wire
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A former Australian ambassador to Israel has suggested that sponsored visits to Israel made by members of pariament could have an effect on Australian foreign policy.The concerns have been raised by Ross Burns who was Ambassador to Israel between 2001 and 2003.
He told the Sydney Morning Herald that he had experienced many trips by MPs but that he could recall only one which had not been paid for by Israel lobby groups.
He said that the trips were organised in such a way as to give the visitors a sanitised view of the Israel/Palestine conflict.
Burns has called on the Government to review travel gift schemes.
does mean that the sponsored trips that Aust. pays for .For Indonesian lecturers from universities to come to Aust. after the Bali bombings .so that they can see what is going here on the spot .will these Aust. gov. paid trips also come under suspicion as influence peddling. or is this just aimed at Israel and China.