Danby Dines at Ronald Lauder’s
Last night at dinner in New York at the home of the late Estee Lauder, the President of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder hosted a dinner of leading UN Permanent representatives including Russia, the EU, Germany, Italy, France and Poland with 10 MPs from Canada, US, Australia, Britain, Hungary, Italy, Belgium, Israel and Brazil.
Michael Danby 4th from right with parliamentarians
Michael Danby MP, Federal Member for Melbourne Ports, attending with other parliamentarians, disputed the contentions of both the French Ambassador Araud and the Russian Ambassador Churkin that allowing a resolution at the UN on a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian State would give ‘face’ to return to direct negotiations.
“Along with my colleagues, we disputed both Ambassadors’ claims that there was no Israeli offer for direct negotiations. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has restated his offer to Abbas to resume talks without preconditions,” Mr Danby said.
The group of Parliamentarians was told by the permanent representatives to the UN that at this stage the General Assembly resolution was unlikely to advance to the Security Council.
Mr Danby called on the Palestinians to accept Israeli offers of direct peace negotiations.
“ Israeli offers of direct peace negotiations have been numerous, and this unilateral vote on a Palestinian state undermines the peace effort and the goodwill offered for direct peace negotiations,” Mr Danby said.
Mr Danby later told an ICJP press conference at the UN that Germany had joined important UN members like Australia, Italy and Canada in absenting themselves from the UN Durban process. Mr Danby praised Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard for taking the courageous decision to not attend the Durban process.
“ Last week the Australian Government announced that it would not be attending the Durban III conference, and have been joined today by Germany. The Durban process is controversial international conference that seems to stir up more passion than it resolves.” Mr Danby said.
Mr Danby told the UN press association that Australia’s stance against the Durban process was consistent, recalling the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s cancellation of Australia’s participation at the Durban II conference held in April 2009.
Australia’s decision to stay away from the Durban II process was vindicated when the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended Durban II in Geneva and turned it into a circus that fulfilled the worst nightmares of the conference opponents.
Danby noted that he had been questioning the Government on where the Government’s thinking was regarding the decision to attend Durban III in New York and said he hoped Australia’s decision to withdraw from Durban III was a signal that Australia will not support attempts by the Palestinians to unilaterally proclaim a Palestinian state on September 20.
Thank God that Australia is not taking part in this conference. That land belongs to Israel. So many of us Christians are praying for your people and your land.
Be blessed, Paul
More to the point, is the Australian government opposing the vote ? If not why is Mr Danby not representing the Australian government’s policy ?
Doesn’t Mr Danby know that talks have been going on for nearly forty yeras. All the while Israel has expanded its exclusive settlements as well. The UN vote will not hinder negotiations and Israel can honour the vote by agreeing to a free Palestine.