The Minister, The Parliamentary Secretary, The MP and The Chocolate Shop

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Michael Danby MP the new chairman of Australia’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee, Minister for Communication Senator Stephen Conroy and Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Senator David Feeney shared a hot chocolate at Max Brenner’s South Melbourne premises last night in solidarity with Israel and the Australian Jewish Community.

Senator Stephen Conroy, Michael Danby Mp and Parliamentary Secretary for Defence David Feeney

It was part of a continued campaign by Mr Danby and Australian parliamentary leaders to repudiate the violent anti-Israel protest by BDS militants at Max Brenner’s CBD shop on the 1st of July (19 arrests were made at the time), and follows a similar meeting between Mr Danby and Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd last week.

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and Parliamentary Secretary for Defence joined Mr Danby for a hot chocolate and a chat in a symbolic act repudiating attempts to disrupt the popular café by the pro-Hamas Boycott Israel campaign.

Senator Feeney spoke of the wide community support for a peaceful solution to the Middle East conflict “ 99% of Australian’s support a two State solution. If the slogan of this group is the chant “ from the river to the sea” they are supporters of Hamas and an anathema to the overwhelming majority of their fellow Australians.”

Mr Danby said that he was humbled that Senator Conroy and Senator Feeney had both flown in from inter-State to appear with him at Max Brenner’s in solidarity.

“It is a testament to both Minister Conroy and Senator Feeney that they took the time out of their busy schedules to join me here. Both are committed friends of the Australian Jewish Community and represent the views of mainstream Australia,” Mr Danby said.

The trio of parliamentarians were joined at Max Brenner’s by a large group of community supporters, packing out the popular café on Claredon St.

Minister Conroy voiced his concern at the violent protests, “The Gillard Government remains concerned by any groups advocating a boycott of Israeli products or services or Jewish businesses and business people like Frank Lowy and Revlon’s chairman, Ronald Perlman, who is a trustee of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre,” Senator Conroy said.

Michael Danby concluded,  “I is the responsibility of every civilized person who wants to make a contribution against these fanatics who want to boycott Jewish and Israeli  commerce, to support these stores and products”, Danby said “ particularly after any incident, I urge the public to go in and buy every product on the shelves.”