How long do we think Australia’s relationship with Israel will be apparently strained? A few weeks? A month? Maybe longer? This story is certainly interesting:
The screening of an Israeli film in Parliament House has been postponed amid heightened tensions between Australia and Israel.
Three Australian passports were fraudulently used in the assassination of a political figure in Dubai last month. Dubai police suspect Israel was behind the murder.
Israel’s ambassador was summoned to Parliament House last week in a rare test of the usually solid bilateral relationship.
Now a screening of the Israeli film Noodle, scheduled to be shown in Parliament House on March 15, has been postponed.
The screening was arranged by the Israeli ambassador, Yuval Rotem, and by the Australia Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group. The evening was billed as “a celebration of Israeli culture” and was to include a reception.
The event has been postponed to June.
Last week Australia abstained in a vote regarding Israel in the United Nations General Assembly, sparking claims the passport affair was affecting the bilateral relationship.
Officers from the Australian Federal Police are on their way to Israel to investigate the passport issue.