Michael Danby writing in the Daily Telegraph:
Some caucus members worry about every Palestinian – who is, by aid dollars per capita, the most highly subsidised minority in the world, including $350 million of Australian taxpayer funds.
By contrast, poor gentle Tibet gets little sympathy. More than 80 Tibetans have burned themselves to death in the past 18 months as a result of Chinese oppression.
Tibetans launch terrorist attacks on no one. They acquire no Iranian missiles to attack Chinese cities; they strap on no suicide vests to blow up no children on school buses.
On a per capita basis, how do the Palestinians compare with our own Aborigines? Say 100K for each remote indigenous person.
Not disputing the theme of Danby’s argument of course.
Poor Old Rafe
12 Dec 12 at 1:21 pm
Before the Chinese took over Tibet was a theocratic dictatorship. Not supporting the thuggish Chinese or anything but just sayin’…
Jack Lacton
12 Dec 12 at 1:39 pm
One the subject of the Palestinian state vote, Julia’s position was the correct one and Carr’s moves were a little underhanded.
However, Labor was subject to much criticism about it’s decision making processes when they left the wider cabinet or caucus out of it. Rudd’s ‘kitchen cabinet’ created havoc with nearly every policy decision developed in 5 minutes in a vacuum and resulting in failure. Gillard promised to change all that and … well … we know what Gillard’s promises are like!
So as much as caucus got this wrong this time, getting their collective way over Gillard is, on the whole, a positive move.
Chistery
12 Dec 12 at 1:44 pm
In the interests of balance:
“Palestine Human Development Report (2004), 113. According to certain analyses, Palestinians are the largest per capita recipients of international development assistance in the world (Lasensky [2004], 211, Lasensky-Grace [2006]).”
“Hever (2005), 13, 16, and (2006), 5, 10 refutes this assessment, arguing that Israel is the biggest recipient of total foreign aid in the world. Turner (2006), 747, underscores that the US provides Israel with annual bilateral funds of US$654 per person, which is more than double what the Palestinians receive in multilateral aid. According to Le More (2005), 982, “the United States has also provided [the PNA with] considerable funds, even if they are negligible compared to what it allocates bilaterally to Israel—which alone far exceeds the level of combined international assistance to the Palestinians.”
Acknowledgement – all of the above enclosed by parentheses cut & paste from Wikkipedia.
incervisiaveritas
12 Dec 12 at 2:27 pm
How many times do I have to tell you?! No-one in Labor gives a hooy about Israel. Labor is a cesspool of anti-Israel hatred.
Only, anyone trying to win the “Jewish” suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne – such as those in the electorate of Danby – is dead-in-the-water if they don’t appear to support Israel.
That is why Danby’s Labor so willingly allowed themselves to be “rolled” by the unelected Carr, whose role here was to “take a bullet” for the entire caucus. Israel has no friend in Labor.
roger
12 Dec 12 at 2:38 pm
Perhaps Danby could have a change of allegiance himself, and become a coalition member. Principles and all that …
Helen Armstrong
12 Dec 12 at 3:12 pm
All those of Jewish extraction, here and in the USA, have to question why they’d ever vote ALP here or Democrat there. But they do. Good people? Mostly. Smart people? Not always.
Danby has to come up with something more substantial that simply getting back the right to elect the ALP ministry. First they need to preselect people worthy of the role. Who amongst the present mob is going to ensure that?
blogstrop
12 Dec 12 at 3:57 pm
“No-one in Labor gives a hooy about Israel.”
I don’t. Israel this, Israel that… I’d like to see Danby represent the people who actually pay his Parliamentary salary for once.
Paul
12 Dec 12 at 4:06 pm
I entirely respect your right to hold this view. What I do not respect, however, is politicians playing games with public opinion. If Labor sympathizes with the Palestinians – then, by all means let them come out and defend their position. But what Gillard and Danby do is deceit. They try to walk both sides of the road on this issue. I have no time for that!
roger
12 Dec 12 at 4:12 pm
Danby mentions the ignored Tibetans. The people I think most deserve a state are the Kurds who are running their own show very effectively and peacefully in Iraq and are an actual ethnic group with their own history (Saladin was a Kurd) who have wished for their own state for many years.
In contrast – the Palestinians have managed to remain the favoured victim group du jour for 60 years with their delusional demands pandered to at every turn (Jerusalem as their capital, right of return etc etc) and a blind eye turned to random acts of violence and wilful rejection of all peace offers – why this is so is bloody well beyond me.
Viva
12 Dec 12 at 5:20 pm
“Before the Chinese took over Tibet was a theocratic dictatorship. Not supporting the thuggish Chinese”
Seems to be a theocratic dictatorship that the people were quite keen on (or at least are more keen on that than being ruled by the Chinese).
You’re right, I doubt even the most passionate Tibetan supporters would argue that pre-invasion Tibet was perfect, just that they prefer Tibetan rule to Chinese…
ugh
12 Dec 12 at 5:24 pm
I think you are being a little hard on Danby, Roger. I have no reason to doubt that he is quite a sincere supporter of Israel (as was Bob Hawke, as was Barry Cohen for e.g) nor do I think that the Jewish vote in that electorate is so preponderant that it is the only motivator for his stance.
dragnet
12 Dec 12 at 5:28 pm
“just that they prefer Tibetan rule to Chinese…”
Self-rule? What is the world coming to?!!
The Beer Whisperer
12 Dec 12 at 5:33 pm
“Tibetans launch terrorist attacks on no one. They acquire no Iranian missiles to attack Chinese cities; they strap on no suicide vests to blow up no children on school buses.”
They’re trying the Gandhian method. The problem is, that’s never going to work on a dictatorial China that has decided that it doesn’t have to worry about public opinion as long as the economy is expanding fast enough, and which has gained a demographic victory in the occupied territory utterly beyond England’s capacity with regard to India, and which has historical and geographical ties to the region that solidify its influence and give a plausibility gloss to its territorial claims.
Jarrah
12 Dec 12 at 5:39 pm
Labor is heading into a very tough election campaign. Do not underestimate their desperation. An issue which is close to the heart of entire suburbs in one electorate is one they can hardly ignore. As for the Jewish vote – Danby likes to keep the Jewish community in his pocket, and he cannot do that if he doesn’t keep appearances of support to Israel.
roger
12 Dec 12 at 5:41 pm
Test
McTavish
12 Dec 12 at 6:12 pm
Ah, Moderation.
[Changing your secret identity? Sinc]
McTavish
12 Dec 12 at 6:13 pm
Danby bagging Carr can only be a good thing.
The decision to back the Palestinians to keep local Muslims sweet was outrageous. Where will it end?
jupes
12 Dec 12 at 8:18 pm
hard to find evidence of exports from the gaza strip. must be the dutch disease.
Jim Rose
12 Dec 12 at 8:56 pm
Not only is Danby a “sincere supporter of Israel”, he is a sincere supporter of free speech. I had the privelege of standing with him against the mad Moaists in support (of all things!!) of the USSR Embassador’s right to speak back in the day.
He is thereffore one of those I am most dissapointed in in the ALP caucus, but that is a horse of a different colour.
mct
12 Dec 12 at 9:01 pm
Heh. Israel collects $100 million per month in tax and pays it to the Palestinian Authority.
Gab
12 Dec 12 at 9:03 pm
“Heh. Israel collects $100 million per month in tax and pays it to the Palestinian Authority.”
It’s collected from Palestinians.
Jarrah
12 Dec 12 at 9:27 pm
Really, considering they are just generic Jordanian or Egyptian arabs i find that a bit risible. The thought of the Palitubbies paying any tax to Israel is a bit bizarre.
Or do you mean those working in Israel who have to pay the same tax as everyone else in that country?
Carpe Jugulum
12 Dec 12 at 9:33 pm
No. He isn’t.
Sinclair Davidson
12 Dec 12 at 9:36 pm
Gab
12 Dec 12 at 9:39 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_the_Palestinian_territories
Gab
12 Dec 12 at 9:40 pm
What is it about the squeakiest wheel getting the most noise? When the Dalai Llama dies they might change tack.
papachango
12 Dec 12 at 10:20 pm
The bit that would kill me if I was an Israeli is the fuckhead Palestinian politicians who stand up in your parliament – after everyone has busted their butts to ensure they have representation there – and announce for the third time this week that they’re only there to ensure your nation is destroyed.
John Mc
12 Dec 12 at 10:20 pm
“just that they prefer Tibetan rule to Chinese”
??? They were living under an unelected religious regime. Anti homosexual and anti development. I understand that they may desire self rule and democracy but that wasn’t what they had before. If the Dalai Lama and his sponging monks managed to get hold of the country again all development would cease and the population would revert to religious serfs.
sfw
13 Dec 12 at 7:05 am