Former Australian FM denounces Jewish lobby's 'extraordinary influence'

[Jefferson23]

In new book, Bob Carr claims office of former Australian PM Julia Gillard was effectively held hostage by Jewish lobby.

By Haaretz | Apr. 10, 2014 | 4:01 AM

Former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr has suggested Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s dogged support of Israel was due to the "subcontracting" of Australian foreign policy to Jewish donors, The Guardian reported on Wednesday.

In his upcoming book "Diary of a Foreign Minister," Carr claims the "extreme right-wing" pro-Israel lobby in Melbourne wielded "extraordinary influence" on Gillard. The book includes private text messages between the two – published without Gillard's consent – which detail the pair's disagreement on Australia's support (or lack thereof) for the November 2012 United Nations vote concerning Palestinian observer status.

In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to promote his new book, Carr claimed the pro-Israel lobby in Melbourne wielded "extraordinary influence" on Gillard and her office, negatively interfering with Australian foreign policy.

"I found it very frustrating that we couldn't issue, for example, a routine expression of concern about the spread of Israeli settlements on the West Bank - great blocks of housing for Israeli citizens going up on land that everyone regards as part of the future Palestinian state if there is to be a two-state solution."

in full: http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/1.584898

[King_David]

1. Yes that Jewish Lobby

Eeeeeeek

[azurnoir]

2. "Jewish Lobby" is not the term Bob Carr' used it is Ha'aretz and other publications

as illustrated here in an interview

SARAH FERGUSON: You're saying that the Melbourne Jewish lobby had a direct impact on foreign policy as it was operated from inside Julia Gillard's cabinet?

BOB CARR: Yeah, I would call it the Israeli lobby - I think that's important. But certainly they enjoyed extraordinary influence. I had to resist it and my book tells the story of that resistance coming to a climax when there was a dispute on the floor of caucus about my recommendation that we don't block the Palestinian bid for increased non-state status at the United Nations.

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2014/s3982168.htm

[Jefferson23]

3. Thank you, I think that is important to note. n/t

[King_David]

4. This guys a real piece of work,

Bigot !



“Former foreign minister Bob Carr has suggested Julia Gillard’s dogged insistence on supporting Israel in a controversial United Nations vote was because Australian foreign policy had been “subcontracted” to Jewish donors.”

http://galusaustralis.com/2014/04/8262/bob-carr-foreign-policy-sbcontracted-to-jews-and-pessach-break/

[Scootaloo]

5. "Party donors" is the actual phrase Carr used.

As Azur noted, your usual shit sources are pulling their usual shit trick of shoehorning "Jew" where it wasn't spoken.



Then again, you're not able to tell the difference between "Israel" and "Jew" yourself, so I can see where the mistake could be made.

[King_David]

6. He's talking about Australian Jewish Lobby

Australian Jews.

The guys a bigot. You can suger coat it as much as you want but I don't think that wi change anything and nor will it work.

[Scootaloo]

7. Actually that was Kevin Rudd

Making a point about Jewish donors.

Bob Carr: Diary of a Foreign Minister includes a detailed account of a period in October and November 2012 when Carr campaigned against Gillard’s insistence that Australia should support Israel and vote against Palestinian observer status in the United Nations.

The bitter fight became entwined in the leadership tensions that were reaching a crescendo at the time.

As it reached its height, he describes Kevin Rudd arriving at his parliament house office “purse-lipped, choirboy hair, speaking in that sinister monotone. A chilling monotone”.

Rudd’s had a “morbid interest” in the issue which had the potential to impact both on Australia’s fate in the upcoming vote for a seat on the UN security council and on his own chances to return to the prime ministership.

“How much of this is about money, I asked him,” Carr writes. “He said about one-fifth of the money he had raised in the 2007 election campaign had come from the Jewish community.”

Carr concludes that “subcontracting our foreign policy to party donors is what this involves. Or appears to involve.”

He describes how nine ministers spoke against Gillard when the issue was discussed by cabinet, and only two in favour of her position.

But she remained unmoved and said it was a “prime minister’s call”. She only changed her mind when she realised she was set to be overruled by the caucus - which would have ended her already tenuous hold on the leadership.

So tell me, When the majority of a cabinet opposes a position, but a large block of party donors supports it, and the Prime Minister decides to ignore their cabinet and go with what the donors want... How would you describe that?

Here in the US, we describe it as "corruption," or "letting ALEC write policy," or any other number of not-nice things.

[shaayecanaan]

10. he was president of Labor friends of Israel

for quite a long time.

Bob Hawke, former pm and staunch Israel supporter, also opposed Gillard on Israel, thinking her far too dismissive of Palestinian concerns.

[LeftishBrit]

8. 'Jewish lobby'? - all 0.3 per cent of the Australian population?

Try and come up with something more original, Bob. Or more relevant, such as that your party's infighting helped to contribute to the victory of a Christian-Right Prime Minister in a country where this should not be possible! Jewish is one thing that Tony Abbott ain't!

ETA: It is possible that something got 'mistranslated' in the reporting, but still...

[Jefferson23]

9. What do you mean, something more original? I posted this from Harretz because it is not

every day you see a former official go to print with e-mail exchanges.

See post #2 and post#7.

[LeftishBrit]

11. Sorry, I wasn't referring to you or why you posted; I was 'addressing' Bob Carr!

I meant that he is being a bit unoriginal in using the standard line of blaming the 'Jewish lobby', when his country has far more pressing problems with the Christian Right and with an ineffective Labor opposition to a dreadful Prime Minister.

[Jefferson23]

12. That's ok, I did not take your comment to mean it was about my intentions.

There is documentation, yes? It speaks to the influence on the vote for the UN, Carr
is being specific to that influence. It would be a mistake to over look it.

I don't see why he would need to preface it with what may very well be other problems
in their governments ability to function properly. I am concerned when someone such as himself
comes forward and expresses these concerns which have an impact on the peace process
and is dismissed out of hand.

The fact that settlements continued unabated by the Israeli government is a telling
account of their intentions toward any agreement that could leave the Palestinians
with a viable state. To meet that end, I am pleased when I see an individual expose
who is in opposition to end the settlements..I only wish he had leaked this prior
to the vote.

[shaayecanaan]

13. They may only account for 0.3% of the population...

but they account for 50% of the top 10 richest people in the country:-

http://www.forbes.com/australia-billionaires/

Of those billionaires, the Pratt family, the Lowy family and Harry Triguboff in particular have all lobbied strongly in support of Israel.

Historically, Australian Jews have always been conservative (two thirds vote for the coalition), and if anything that trend seems to have hardened of late. Hence most of that financial support has gone to the conservatives as well, although enough makes its way to Labor for them to care about it. This is particularly the case for Melbourne Labor politicians such as Julia Gillard and current leader Bill Shorten, as this is where most Australian Jews live.

Much of the influence comes from personal connections. Gillard was close to pro-Israel businessman Albert Dadon, who relieved her boyfriend Tim Mathieson of his hairdressing job and gave him a gig flogging off luxury apartments that was more befitting of his status. Shorten was known to be close to pro-Israel billionaire Dick Pratt (now deceased), who was known to lend Shorten his private jet whenever he felt the need for one.

The conservatives have traditionally had their power base in Melbourne, and Labor in Sydney. However, in recent years the Tories have made serious inroads into the historical Labor power base in western Sydney, where essentially all Australian elections are decided. As it happens, while Arab Muslims account for only about 1.5% of the population, they are all concentrated in those electorates and vote overwhelmingly for Labor.

Therefore, western Sydney Labor politicians tend to support the Palestinians, and sometimes make statements to that effect. This annoyed Gillard, who insisted on a "veto" for any statement or act supporting the Palestinians, even those from backbenchers.

This boiled over a last year when Gillard insisted on voting "no" to the UNGA proposal for Palestine to join as a non-state member. Muslim leaders told Labor in no uncertain terms that they would lose support if this proceeded. Given that Labor's vote was already at historically low levels, this was a huge concern to western Sydney Labor MPs. A stormy caucus session ensured whereupon the Labor MPs said that if she insisted on a No vote, they would call for a spill (a vote on the leadership). Given her already weak position, this probably would have killed off Gillard.

She buckled. Australia ended up abstaining. In the aftermath of its election defeat, the leadership of the ALP came down to Shorten (of the pro-Israel Labor Right) and Anthony Albanese, a champion of the Left and of the Palestinians. Albanese was the overwhelmingly more popular figure but Shorten was far better connected. The result was inevitable.

For Labor, the Israel issue has always boiled down to Arab votes vs Jewish money (not a fashionable way of putting it, but that is the reality). For the conservatives, they never got the Arab votes, so its all upside for them as far as the Jewish money is concerned.

For the conservatives, one moderating aspect is that Joe Hockey, the Treasurer in the current conservative government is of Palestinian heritage (his father was an Armenian whose parents fled the Young Turks and then he in turn fled the Zionists to Lebanon). He is, or at least was, the sole conservative member of Parliamentary Friends of Palestine, an organisation otherwise made up of Greens and western Sydney MPs. His faction (the Hockey Club) is known to be on rather cool terms with the pro-Israel Costello faction, currently led by Josh Frydenberg. The sacking of assistant treasurer Arthur Sinodinos for corruption has led to a vacancy which will be filled by either Steve Ciobo of the Hockey Club or Frydenberg.

If Abbott appoints Frydenberg it will annoy Hockey immensely but he will probably do it anyway. Hockey is popular with the voters, a bit like Albanese, but doesnt really have the connections.