Australian leadership condemns Hamas
Australia’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have condemned Hamas following the failure of un general assembly resolution on ‘activities of Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza.
Scott Morrison
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marisa Payne stated that Australia supported the UN General Assembly Resolution to condemn “the egregious and ongoing violent acts of the terrorist organisation Hamas and to restore some balance in the United Nation’s consideration of Israeli-Palestinian issues.”
In their joint statement, the Australian leaders wrote: “Hamas and other militant groups’ conduct in Gaza is confrontational, violent and provocative.
They endanger the lives of innocent people and indiscriminately target civilians.
Marisa Payne
Hamas’ actions are egregious, reprehensible and profoundly against the cause of peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Australia condemns Hamas’ activities in the strongest possible terms.
While a simple majority of countries voted in favour of the Resolution [Yes 87; No 57; Abstain 33] the failure of the international community to condemn Hamas, a terrorist organisation, with the requisite majority in the UNGA is appalling.
Australia’s principled position in the United Nations has been consistent.
Australia supports a two-state solution that allows Israel and a future Palestinian state to exist side-by-side, in peace and security, within internationally recognised borders.
However anti-Israel bias and unbalanced language in resolutions, combined with the failure to make any progress towards a two-state solution raise real questions about the efficacy of the status quo approach to resolving and addressing these issues.”
in unequivocally condemning the ongoing, unacceptable terrorist actions of Hamas and the appalling UN record of bias against Israel. Very importantly, the Australian leaders suggest persisting with the status quo- effectively downplaying Hamas terrorism and virtually ignoring Palestinian rejectionism and their very refusal to negotiate-undermines any prospect of renewing negotiations towards a two-state outcome. We trust the Australian Government’s courageous stance will be emulated by other nations interested in resolving rather than reinforcing ongoing Israeli/ Palestinian conflicts,” Dr Rubenstein concluded.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “The draft condemnation of Hamas in the UN General Assembly received a sweeping majority by countries that stood against Hamas.
While it did not achieve a two-thirds majority, this is the first time that a majority of countries have voted against Hamas and I commend each of the 87 countries that took a principled stand against Hamas.
This is a very important achievement for the US and Israel. I thank the American administration and US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley for the initiative.”
President of the Zionist Federation of Australia Jeremy Leibler commented: ““Both the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister are to commended not only for Australia’s principled vote on the UNGA resolution condemning Hamas but for publicly calling out the consistent bias of the United Nations in relation to Israel. Notwithstanding that the UNGA resolution did not pass, the 87 countries who voted in favour of the resolution have sent a powerful message to the international community that Hamas’ actions will not be tolerated by the majority of UN member states.”
Co-CEO of The Executive Council of Australian Jewry Peter Wertheim added: “On matters affecting Israel, the General Assembly is usually dominated by the hostile attitudes of the 56 States of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, most of which are dictatorships, sponsors of terrorist groups and serial human rights abusers. So it is extraordinary that the US motion to condemn Hamas received the support of a clear majority of States. If only 5 of the States which voted ‘no’ had instead voted ‘yes’ the resolution would have been passed by the requisite two-thirds majority.
It speaks volumes that the UN has passed hundreds of resolutions criticising Israel, and yet has only now for the first time entertained a motion criticising Hamas, which began its nefarious life as a terrorist organisation 30 years ago, and recently fired 400 rockets at Israeli cities and towns. The countries which abstained or voted against the motion have been short-sighted about the threat that terrorism poses to every nation, and to all peoples.
Australia had the spine and the common sense to stand unequivocally against terrorism by supporting the motion. We thank the government for that and commend the US for sponsoring the motion.
It’s also a hopeful sign that a majority at the UN finally voted to condemn the terrorist violence of a Palestinian organisation. Perhaps that’s progress of sorts”.
