Australian Government Fails to Support UN Resolution To End Illegal Occupation of Palestine
The Australian Friends of Palestine Association (AFOPA) is acutely disappointed and angered by the Australian Government’s shameful abstention in the UN General Assembly vote on 18 September, to end Israel’s illegal presence and military occupation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
While 124 of the 193 member states, including Ireland, France, Japan, Spain , Greece, Portugal , Norway and New Zealand, voted in favour of the Resolution to “bring to an end without delay" Israel’s “unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory", Australia failed once again to support the consistent application of international law and accord justice to the Palestinian people.
Significantly the Resolution also states that all Palestinians displaced during the occupation must be allowed by Israel to return to their original place of residence and reparations be made by Israel for the damage caused to them.
Once again the Australian Government has made it clear that it is selective in the application of international law. Once again it is clear that the Australian Government is untroubled by its complicity with an apartheid regime.
The Australian Government has missed another significant opportunity to change direction to one that upholds international law and values justice and freedom for all people.
Christa Christaki
Chairperson AFOPA
Australian Friends of Palestine Association (AFOPA)