Carr responds to Pyne
Liberal MP Christopher Pyne has called Foreign Minister Bob Carr a “dangerous amateur” following the condemnation of Israel’s expansion of its settlements and labeling it “illegal” under international law. Senator Carr has responded.
Christopher Pyne
Foreign Minister Senator Bob Carr
Pyne told “The Australian” that “Bob Carr is a dangerous amateur who has ended the bipartisanship between Labor and the Coalition that has marked Australia’s approach to Israel since 1948”.
Foreign Minister Carr’s comments were part of a joint communique issued in Perth last week with his British counterpart William Hague.
Foreign Minister Bob Carr has issued the following statement in response to Christopher Pyne:
“Christopher Pyne’s comments on the Middle East peace process yesterday (Sunday, January 20 2013) simply show how extreme the Liberals have become under Tony Abbott.
Mr Pyne directly attacks a joint statement made by me and the UK Foreign Secretary William Hague on January 18. This joint statement calls for an end to settlement activity. It also seeks American leadership on a major effort in 2013 to achieve a negotiated two-state solution with a secure Israel alongside an independent Palestinian state.
The statement further calls on Palestinians to “unite for peace and cease acts of violence against Israel” and to “abide by the terms of the Gaza ceasefire and stop all rocket attacks.”
The Liberal Party attack on this joint statement by Australia and the UK shows they have abandoned support for a two-state solution – because as America and the Europeans have long argued, the spread of settlements undermines it.”
Like a lot of Israel bashers, Carr makes up laws to suit his ends. It sure does look good to dress your ignorance and bigotry in the mantle of respectability and legality. Pyne is wrong, however, to describe Carr as an amateur. Carr is a professional politician and he ignores facts, decency and logic in pursuing his goals. It is indeed quite neat the way that Carr fails to respond to Pyne. He just regurgitates his absurd and contemptible comments and accuses Pyne of the very extremism that he has just displayed.
Michael,
I am not an Orthodox Jew, so guess that must deem me ‘Progressive’. I am quite willing to be your friend. And I endorse and embrace Christopher Pyne’s pro-Israel stance, although can’t be categorised a Liberal party voter, and don’t care for Pyne’s views on other matters. Some of us are a bit of a mixed bag, defying categorisation, and that can be a good thing.
It’s true the settlement issue is just a ploy to bash Israel around the head with by those who already think what they want to think. I was interested to read your comments on the prime concerns of most of the Israelis you spoke to on your recent visit – makes sense to me.
Where do these politicians live, are they deaf and blind? Don`t they hear the daily threats from Philistines,Egyptians, Turks and Iranian politicians to destroy Israel to kill every Jew not in Israel only but around the world? I think every politician around the world should learn Arabic to hear the anti-Israeli propaganda spread even in our own SBS television by Al Jezera news. Wake up, open your eyes and unplug your ears you do-gooders! Get out of Fairyland ad come back to reality!
Hi Ben having just returned from Israel the majority of Israelis I spoke to were not so concerned about settlements which the West is using as an excuse to bash israel but the Iranian/Hezbollah threat and the Economy Most reasonable main stream Israelis [ except the naive Israeli peace-nicks who would give up Tel Aviv is asked] have given up on any idea of peace with the Palestinians .
I wish we had more politicians like Chris Pyne who I have heard speak many times over the last few years. Of course according to my progressive Jewish friends here, he is far too Pro Israel.
I think it is time to stop insulting our intelligence by trying to defend the indefensible , that is the now very Arabist Labor party .
Burdy
Ben Eleijah, worry not: the “settlements” have not expanded since 2000 when they were no block to Yasser Arafat entering peace talks with Ehud Barak at Camp David. Back in August Foreign Minister Liberman informed EU Foreign Minister Ashton that settlements took up only 1% of the West Bank, as they had done since the 1990s. And Palestinians have not been “dispossessed.” E.g., there were no Palestinians living in the E-1 corridor in east Jerusalem when construction was approved there recently: it had already been allocated to Israel in the Oslo Accords. Tough for you.
The Libs will stoop to any unprincipled stand to win a few votes and funds. Even concerend Isarelis have been opposing the expansion of settlements and the resulting dispossession of Palestinians. The one thing that will result is a South africa type struggle for equal citizenship rights.