The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC), Australia’s leading organisation fighting hatred in all its forms, has denounced a letter organised by the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network and signed by 60 Australians that opposes Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Australia this week. The statement partly claims that Netanyahu’s policies “consistently aim to provoke, intimidate and oppress the Palestinian population which increase that imbalance, thus taking Israel irretrievably further from peace. These policies are inconsistent with Australian values and beliefs and we should not welcome him here.” The letter also accuses Israel of actions that are “not symbolic of a nation desirous of building peace with its neighbours. Those policies build understandable resentment, anger and desperation amongst Palestinians.”
Dr. Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC, issued the following statement:
“The double standard of this inflammatory and divisive letter, that singles out the only democracy in the Middle-east for censure, is staggering. It is not surprising that this petition is an initiative of APAN, an organisation that has zero credibility on this issue and which has a longstanding record in relentlessly attacking Israel and openly supporting the BDS campaign. This statement, signed by some organisations and individuals who have ritualistically maligned Israel and advocated its boycott, recycles accusations that are meant to stigmatise and delegitimize the Jewish state. Rushing to bash Netanyahu, this letter presents a blatantly distorted picture of an enormously complex situation, conveniently overlooking the horrific Palestinian violence and fanaticism that has claimed the lives of many Israelis, Hamas’s terrorism, murder and oppression of its own people, and Abbas’s ongoing refusal to return to the negotiating table. Instead of building bridges and championing the cause of peace, which are at the core of Australian values, this counterproductive resolution perpetuates a one-sided narrative of the conflict and undermines the chances of genuine reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.”
The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission, founded in 1979, is Australia’s leading organization fighting racism through educational programs that combat bigotry, prejudice and all forms of hatred.
For further information please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on 9272 5677.