Following yesterday’s announcement that Australia will be expelling a Mossad agent after Israel’s abuse of passports in the murder of a Hamas official, one of the country’s leading Zionist bodies, AIJAC, released this almost comical statement. Remember, dear readers, murder isn’t murder when Israel is pulling the trigger:
The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council said that the Australia/Israel friendship is deep and broad and will continue to grow despite the Australian government’s regrettable decision announced today that an Israeli diplomat be withdrawn.
Dr Colin Rubenstein, AIJAC’s Executive Director, said, “While we understand and sympathise with the responsibility of the government to protect the integrity of the Australia passport system, in our view, this response was unhelpful. Australia has already made clear its displeasure over the abuse of Australian passports in the strongest of possible terms [in fact, already too strong – SL], which we believe was adequate to fulfil the government’s responsibilities.”
Dr. Rubenstein continued, “We would note in this regard that, while Australia followed a British precedent in its over-reaction, no similar step has been taken by Ireland, France or Germany, all of whom also allegedly had forged passports implicated in the killing of senior Hamas terrorist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.”
AIJAC National Chairman Mark Leibler added, “The claims of the Dubai authorities with respect to this case should not be accepted as necessarily unbiased and neutral, given Dubai’s apparent past tolerance of Mabhouh’s open and dubious activity on behalf of Hamas on Dubai soil. Therefore, irrespective of who was responsible, describing the killing of Mabhouh as ‘murder’ is questionable and ignores the likelihood that the killing of an active terrorist leader from a violent rejectionist organisation positively saved lives.”
“As Foreign Minister Stephen Smith noted, Australia and Israel have a longstanding friendship and common interests, with the threats of a nuclear-armed Iran and anti-Western terrorism just two of the pressing world concerns which both countries will continue to confront together, despite today’s decision,” Mr Leibler concluded.
And not to be outdone, one of the Australian parliament’s great apologists for Israeli crimes chimed in:
The Federal Member for Melbourne Ports, Michael Danby, today responded to Foreign Minister Steven Smith’s announcement that Australia will expel an Israeli diplomat as a result of the Dubai affair:
“I have previously & publicly (on Jon Faine’s 774 program) said that I condemn the misuse of Australian passports by any other country. However, I do not agree with the government’s decision to remove an Israeli diplomat from Canberra. Neither France, Germany or Ireland have asked for an Israeli diplomat to be withdrawn as a result of the Dubai affair.
This announcement comes at a time when Australia is supporting just resumed Middle East peace negotiations.
Australia has always been a good friend of Israel and I have no doubt that this relationship will remain, Mr Danby said.