BDS Slammed by the Senate
Liberal Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz has issued a statement on behalf of the Senate condemning Labor, the Greens and the unions over their Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions [BDS] against Israel.
Senator Eric Abetz
In his statement, Senator Abetz who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, said:
“Today the Senate condemned those in the Labor Party, the Greens and unions who are supporting the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel,” Senator Abetz said.
“The Foreign Affairs Minister, Kevin Rudd, who today dictated Labor’s position, and who was happy to call Marrickville Council’s BDS policy “nuts”, wilted when it came to opposing those in his own Party and the unions who are also supporting this vile campaign.”
“Likewise Greens Leader, Senator Bob Brown, did not have the spine to reject the NSW Greens’ BDS policy – despite previously claiming that both he and the Greens’ national council opposed this BDS policy.”
Today’s motion in the Senate – passed by the Coalition and the independents, 32 to 30, noted with concern:
· the resolution carried at the 2010 Regional Conference of the Queensland Branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) to support the BDS campaign;
· initial support for the support for the BDS campaign against Israel by four Labor councillors on Marrickville Council;
· the decision by the NSW ALP to preference Greens candidate and Marrickville Mayor, Fiona Byrne, in the seat of Marrickville at the NSW state election; and
· reports that David Forde, Convenor of Labor 4A Just Palestine, who supports the BDS campaign, is a frontrunner for ALP preselection for the Queensland state seat of Stretton;
Today’s Senate motion also denounced support lent to the BDS campaign against Israel by the Victorian Trades Hall Council, Geelong Trades Hall Council, Newcastle Trades Hall Council, South Coast Labour Council, Queensland Council of Unions, Unions ACT and branches of the ASU, Teachers’ Union, LHMWU, CFMEU, MUA, AMWU, CEPU, ETU, FSU, HACSU and RTBU.
Further, it called upon the ACTU to oppose the BDS campaign.
Senator Abetz said that parts of the Labor Party and union movement had been infected by the anti-Israel BDS campaign, and that the Greens were totally compromised.
“The first step in ridding the labour movement of this extremism is acknowledging its presence. Kevin Rudd, Labor and the Greens today failed this test,” Senator Abetz said.
Rudd’s failure to support the motion confirms how spineless he really is. This was evidenced when he rolled over rather than challenge Gillard in a party vote for the Labor leadership which basically saw him throw in the towel instead of standing up and fighting for his position.