Greens protest NSW company doing business with Israel
Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward has moved a Notice of Motion in Parliament condemning the Greens Party for its protest against Illawarra based business Bisalloy in relation to a contract with an Israeli company.
Gareth Ward
Gareth Ward who is also the Liberal Party member of Kiama in the NSW Parliament said that Green Party protest is “disgraceful “.
He added: “I support Bisalloy and its workers who are making world-renown products which result in much needed employment across the Illawarra and South Coast,” he said.
This steel is being used for protection – not provocation. It distresses me that anyone would protest against steel used to protect allied armed forces.
I am completely and utterly opposed to racists campaigns such as the boycotts, divestments and sections campaign against Israel and Israeli businesses.
As publicly elected officials, we have a responsibility to condemn racism in all its forms.
Unfortunately, this protest shows that radicals are now running the Greens. The Greens are no longer about sensible environmental policies and practical conservationism.
Bisalloy provides vital jobs and investment for our Illawarra economy and whilst it may offend Greens like Clr Cox, Bisalloy are providing protection to the Israel Defence Force from bombs, bullets and terrorist combatants,” Mr Ward said.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Vic Alhadeff commented: “We congratulate Gareth Ward for calling out the Greens for what this is – a scurrilous attack on Israel which makes all manner of baseless accusations. Mr Ward has a long history of standing on principle, and he has done so once again in condemning the Greens’ response on this issue and making it unequivocally clear that the BDS movement is a racist campaign.”
Mr Ward’s Notice of Motion:
Madam Speaker,
Today I give Notice that tomorrow I shall move that this House:
- Notes that on 23 February Members of the Greens Party lead a protest against Illawarra based business Bisalloy in relation to a contract with an Israeli company;
- Notes that Bisalloy are producing protective steel to provide protection to the Israel Defence Force from bombs, bullets and terrorist combatants;
- Notes that Wollongong Greens Councillor Mithra Cox gave a brief speech at the protest before breaking into a Bob Dylan song in front of the crowd;
- Supports Bisalloy and its workers who are making world-renown products which result in much needed employment across the Illawarra and South Coast;
- Opposes racists campaigns such as the Boycotts, divestments and sections campaign against Israel and Israeli businesses; and
- Condemns racism in all its forms.
The Greens are now utterly irrelevant as an Australian political party. Given their blatant anti-Israel bias, which is becoming more and more to the fore, one needs to ask what they exist for at all? How pathetic.
Good on Mr Ward for calling them out on this anti-Australian and anti-Israel protest.
Also, as he says, the Greens no longer care about the environment. If they did they’d be calling for the importation of Israeli environmental know-how for our drought-prone land!
Well said Judy, Liat and Leon..
John
Mr Ward has the decency that others do not.