552 Australia's pro-Zionist PM Julia Gillard rolled over Palestine vote; Gareth Evans inspires the revolt

Australia's pro-Zionist PM Julia Gillard rolled over Palestine vote;
Gareth Evans inspires the revolt

(1) Soros and Evans help the Palestinians
(2) Soros invests in Palestine, to the consternation of the Republican
Right
(3) Gareth Evans warns Labor against being on the "wrong side of
history" over Palestine vote
(4) Australia's pro-Zionist PM rolled over Palestine vote; Labor Caucus
sides with Evans & Carr
(5) Australian prime minister defeated on UN vote
(6) Gillard backed down over Palestine to save her job
(7) Zionist Federation seeks urgent meeting with Gillard over Palestine
vote
(8) Israel downplays Palestine vote: fireworks in Ramallah but
Settlements remain

(1) Soros and Evans help the Palestinians - Peter Myers, November 29, 2012

After quitting as Australia's foreign minister, Gareth Evans went to
work for George Soros. The International Crisis Group keeps a lookout
for pending crises around the world and works out resolutions to them,
which it then tries to get governments to adopt.

At the ICG, Evans developed the ideology of Responsibility to Protect
(R2P), which has been used to legitimate invasions after State
Dept-supported revolutionaries have created insurgencies.

After dirtying their hands in many such ventures, Soros and Evans have
done something good. They have been helping the Palestinian push for
statehood.

Evens helped persuade Australia's federal Labor politicians to roll
their leader, Prime Minister Julia Gillard, over the Palestine vote at
the UN. Foreign Minister Bob Carr led the revolt; might he be an
alternative leader?

Gillard's Zionism was one factor in her ouster of former Labor Prime
Minister Keven Rudd two years ago: she got support from the Lobby
against him. Now the Labor caucus is showing that it will not be
browbeaten by the Lobby. An example to the Democrats - take note.

(2) Soros invests in Palestine, to the consternation of the Republican Right

http://www.wnd.com/2011/02/262077/

FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAUWORLDNETDAILY EXCLUSIVE

OBAMA, SOROS CREATE 'PALESTINE'

Invest in Arab 'country' that lacks recognitionPublished: 02/10/2011 at
8:10 PM

by AARON KLEIN

Aaron Klein is WND's senior staff reporter and Jerusalem bureau chief.
He also hosts "Aaron Klein Investigative Radio" on New York's WABC
Radio. Follow Aaron on Twitter and Facebook.

JERUSALEM – In partnership with a government fund initiated by Barack
Obama, philanthropist and billionaire activist George Soros is investing
in a private equity company that just launched in the Palestinian
territories.

The company, Siraj Fund Management Company, says it was created “for the
sole purpose of managing investment funds in Palestine.”

The new company’s website repeatedly refers to what it calls the
“country” of “Palestine.” There is, however, no such country as
Palestine. Siraj is apparently referring to territories controlled by
the Palestinian Authority.

“Siraj has plans to launch future funds focused on the Palestinian
market thereby contributing to the sustainable development of the
country,” states the website.

This marks the latest involvement of Soros in Middle Eastern affairs.

WND reported last week Soros has been funding groups pushing for
democracy in Egypt and is associated with an opposition leader there who
has been fueling protests toppling the regime of President Hosni
Mubarak, a key U.S. ally in the region.

WND also reported an international “crisis management” group led by
Soros long has petitioned for the Egyptian government to normalize ties
with the Muslim Brotherhood, the main opposition in Egypt.

This week, Siraj Fund Management Company, the first private equity fund
in the Palestinian territories, officially launched in the West Bank
city of Ramallah.

Soros’ Economic Development Fund invested in the new group alongside the
U.S. government-owned Overseas Private Investment Corporation, or OPIC.

OPIC is an independent agency of the US government that mobilizes
private sector investment in new and emerging markets overseas.

In 2009, OPIC created its Global Technology and Innovation Fund, which
invested in Siraj, in response to an initiative by Obama to launch an
investment group to support technological development in Muslim-majority
countries.

The initiative followed Obama’s historic address to the Muslim world
from Cairo, Egypt in June 2009.

The U.S. fund invested with Soros in the West Bank’s new Siraj Fund
Management Company, which was created to manage investment funds in a
“country” Siraj repeatedly refers to in its official literature and
website as “Palestine.” ...

(3) Gareth Evans warns Labor against being on the "wrong side of
history" over Palestine vote

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/palestinian-statehood-stirring-hot-debate-20121101-28mo8.html

Palestinian statehood stirring 'hot debate'

Date: November 02 2012

Daniel Flitton

AUSTRALIA could yet back a Palestinian state winning a place at the
United Nations, despite "hot debate" inside the government and
determined opposition from Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr has told Israeli and Palestinian officials in
recent weeks that Australia will not take a final decision on the
explosive issue until the wording of any resolution is clear.

But Labor's longest-serving foreign minister, Gareth Evans, has warned
Australia of being on the "wrong side of history" by opposing a
Palestinian push for observer status at the UN.

"The issue has been hotly debated within the government over the last
year, but it is one on which the Prime Minister has very strong views,
and her views have so far prevailed," Professor Evans told an Adelaide
audience on Thursday night.

Former foreign minister Kevin Rudd wrote to Ms Gillard last year
advising that Australia should abstain in the General Assembly. But the
issue was left unresolved after Palestinian diplomats decided not to
send a resolution for a vote.

Palestinian officials - frustrated by peace negotiations with Israel -
are driving for the UN seat as a way of securing international
recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Israel is fiercely opposed to the move, accusing Palestinians of
breaking an agreement not to make a unilateral declaration of statehood.

Australian diplomats had feared the question could be brought on before
last month's vote on a Security Council seat - with the potential to
cruel Australia's chances to win over Arab and Islamic nations.

Australia had already risked a backlash by siding with Israel, the US
and 11 other nations last year to oppose Palestinians joining a key UN
cultural body, after Ms Gillard overruled Mr Rudd.

But Australia has also sought in recent months to send subtle signals of
support for a two-state solution to the conflict, with officials
switching back to an earlier formulation and referring to "Palestine"
instead of "Palestinian Territories".

The debate over Palestinian membership is set to resurface with
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas expected to go back to the General
Assembly, possibly later this month.

"When the resolution is put, the only uncertainty about the outcome will
be the size of the affirmative majority," Professor Evans said.

He said estimates of support had 115 votes in favour, 20 against and
between 50 to 60 set to abstain.

A spokesman for Senator Carr said Australia would make a decision when
the text of the resolution was available.

(4) Australia's pro-Zionist PM rolled over Palestine vote; Labor Caucus
sides with Evans & Carr

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/backbench-revolt-forces-pm-to-drop-israel-support-20121127-2a61d.html

Backbench revolt forces PM to drop Israel support

The Age, Melbourne

November 28, 2012

Phillip Coorey

JULIA GILLARD has been forced to withdraw Australia's support for Israel
in an upcoming United Nations vote after being opposed by the vast
majority of her cabinet and warned she would be rolled by the caucus.

As a result, Australia will abstain from a vote in the United Nations
General Assembly on a resolution to give Palestine observer status in
the UN, rather than join the United States and Israel in voting against
the resolution as Ms Gillard had wanted.

In a direct rebuff of her leadership, Ms Gillard was opposed by all but
two of her cabinet ministers - Bill Shorten and Stephen Conroy, both of
the Victorian Right - during a heated meeting on Monday night.

"The cabinet will back you but the caucus won't" ... Julia Gillard was
forced to abandon her vote on a resolution to give Palestine observer
status in the UN. Photo: Andrew Meares

She was then warned by factional bosses she faced a defeat by her own
backbench when the caucus met on Tuesday morning.

The Palestine vote, who met Ms Gillard before cabinet, drove the push to
oppose the Prime Minister.

The former Labor foreign minister Gareth Evans briefed Labor MPs on
Monday, warning they would be on the wrong side of history if they stood
with the US and Israel against the rest of the world.

Ms Gillard had wanted to vote no while the Left faction, which is
pro-Palestinian, wanted to vote for the resolution.

The Right faction, which would usually support Ms Gillard, backed an
abstention, in part due to the views of its members that the government
was too pro-Israel, and also because many MPs in western Sydney, who are
already fearful of losing their seats, are coming under pressure from
constituents with a Middle East background.

Senior sources have told Fairfax Media that in cabinet on Monday night,
at least 10 ministers, regardless of factional allegiance and regardless
of whether they were supporters of Kevin Rudd or Ms Gillard, implored
the Prime Minister to change her view.

At one stage there was a heated exchange between the Environment
Minister, Tony Burke, and Senator Conroy, the Communications Minister.

One source said Ms Gillard was told the cabinet would support whatever
final decision she took because it was bound to support the leader but
the same could not be said of the caucus.

"If you want to do it, the cabinet will back you but the caucus won't,"
a source quoted one minister as telling the Prime Minister.

After the meeting, Ms Gillard received separate delegations from the
Left and the Right factions.

There was to be a motion put to the caucus by the ACT backbencher Andrew
Leigh calling for Australia to back Palestine in the UN vote.

The Left was going to support it. Normally, the Right would have voted
against it and defeated it. But the Right conveners, including Joel
Fitzgibbon, are understood to have told Ms Gillard the Right was not
going to bind its members on the vote and she would lose heavily.
Members of the NSW Right and others would support the motion.

"She had no choice after that," said one MP.

Ms Gillard told the caucus meeting that her personal view was to vote no
because she believed the UN vote, which will pass easily with the
overwhelming support of UN member states, would hurt the peace process
because the US has threatened to withdraw funding for the Palestinian
Authority.

But she conceded that after sounding out ministers and MPs, Australia
should abstain.

The Israeli government is understood to be furious but an embassy
spokesperson declined to comment.

The opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman, Julie Bishop, said the
decision to abstain was disappointing because the Coalition backed a no
vote as "the path to peace and reconciliation".

(5) Australian prime minister defeated on UN vote

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/nov2012/gill-n28.shtml

By Nick Beams

{Trotskyist} World Socialist Website

28 November 2012

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has suffered her most serious
rebuff since she assumed the leadership of the Labor Party in the June
23-24, 2010 coup against former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

On Monday night, Gillard, apparently without any serious consultation
with Foreign Minister Bob Carr, told a cabinet meeting that Australia
would line up behind the US and Israel to vote “no” to a resolution
before the United Nations general assembly to upgrade Palestinian
membership of the UN. Carr had replaced Rudd in the foreign minister’s
post in February, following Rudd’s failed challenge to Gillard’s leadership.

As a result of dissent in the cabinet, led by Carr, and in the face of
opposition from the Labor Party’s parliamentary backbench, which could
have overturned her decision, Gillard was forced to back down. She
agreed that Australia should abstain on the vote to grant Palestine
non-member observer status in the UN.

After the decision, Carr attempted to put the best face on the
situation, denying that the prime minister had been rolled. He said
Gillard had been “open to discussion” with her colleagues and that the
reversal of the decision was a “tribute” to her. It was a textbook case
of a leader heeding the party, he said.

Carr’s efforts to pour oil on troubled waters cannot cover over the
significance of the divisions in the Labor government, which go back to
the circumstances of Gillard’s coming to power.

Gillard’s first action on becoming prime minister was to indicate
unwavering support for Washington in the face of clear concerns in the
Obama administration over Rudd’s attempt to alleviate the growing
tensions between the US and China, via his proposal for the formation of
an Asia-Pacific community.

This proposal conflicted with the US administration’s more aggressive
policy toward China, which was enunciated in the so-called “pivot” to
Asia set out in a major speech delivered by the US president to the
Australian parliament last November. Obama had previously cancelled two
previous visits to Australia in an obvious sign of displeasure with
Rudd’s orientation.

Since the “pivot” was announced, there have been growing concerns within
Australian ruling circles that unequivocal support for the US policy may
jeopardise Australia’s relations with China, its largest market. Former
prime ministers Malcolm Fraser (Liberal) and Paul Keating (Labor) have
both warned that the US policy could lead to a war with China.

In an interview last November, Keating said there was a danger of
replicating the situation in Europe prior to World War I, when failure
to accommodate Germany led to the outbreak of war. Fraser warned in a
speech in September that Australia’s support for the US against China
could even make it the target for a nuclear attack.

While questions of Middle East policy, rather than China, sparked this
week’s opposition, it reflected deeper concerns about the slavish pro-US
foreign policy as a whole, in which the question of China is paramount.

When Gillard announced her decision on the UN vote, ten cabinet members
are reported to have opposed it. Only two members, Workplace Relations
Minister Bill Shorten and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, both
members of Labor’s Right faction from the state of Victoria, supported her.

The opposition to Gillard came from both pro- and anti-Rudd ministers.
It was led by Carr who has been reported as saying he would not have
been able to support her original decision—tantamount to a threat to resign.

According to an article by Sydney Morning Herald journalist Peter
Hartcher, following the cabinet meeting, Carr began a campaign among
Labor MPs to win support for his position. According to one, unnamed,
factional convenor quoted by Hartcher: “I’ve never seen a cabinet
minister stand up to a prime minister like that.”

Gillard’s position became untenable when it was revealed that a motion
would come before the Labor parliamentary caucus yesterday calling for a
“yes” vote on the UN resolution, and that the prime minister could not
rely on the undivided support of Labor’s New South Wales (NSW) Right
faction, on which she is dependent.

One Labor MP told the Australian that the lead-up to the UN abstention
decision was a “very, very tense” 12 hours and Gillard had come
“perilously close to losing the leadership.”

The Murdoch-owned press has cited concerns by Labor MPs in Sydney over
the reaction to a “no” vote from Middle Eastern populations in their
electorates. But that was not Carr’s motivation. Having just led a
campaign to have Australia appointed to a two-year membership of the
Security Council, he clearly was anxious not to be seen joining only
eight countries expected to vote with Israel and the US.

Before his appointment to the Senate and the foreign ministry, Carr, who
had retired as NSW premier in August 2005, had posted several items on
his blog critical of the Gillard government’s support for the Obama “pivot.”

He removed these posts upon his appointment, saying his previous
opinions were those of a “private” citizen and that he now upheld the
government’s views.

After the abstention decision was announced, Carr said it would not be
seen as anti-US or anti-Israel, and there had been no adverse reaction
from the US.

Notwithstanding Carr’s reassurances, the divisions in Australian ruling
circles over relations with the US are not going to disappear, because
they are rooted in deep-seated geo-political tensions. They stem from
the fact that for the past 70 years the Australian political
establishment has formed a strategic alliance with the US and depends on
American support to maintain its position in international relations. On
the other hand, Australian capitalism has become ever-more reliant
economically on China, which is increasingly the target of the US “pivot.”

Commenting on the outcome, an Australian editorial said Gillard should
have exercised her authority to “defend and to advance Australia’s
national and international interests.” The decision to abstain on the UN
vote, it said, had left Australia “on the opposing side of our critical
security alliance partner, the US.”

The intractable foreign policy dilemmas have produced the first serious
division in the Gillard government. It is unlikely to be the last.

(6) Gillard backed down over Palestine to save her job

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/gillards-un-vote-backdown-to-save-her-job/story-e6frg6n6-1226525284024

Gillard's UN vote backdown to save her job

BY: SIMON BENSON From: The Daily Telegraph November 28, 2012 12:00AM

JULIA Gillard's leadership came close to collapse yesterday after
cabinet refused to back her policy to vote against a UN resolution
tomorrow to give greater recognition to a Palestinian state.

After initially snubbing the majority view of her cabinet colleagues on
Monday night, the Prime Minister was only convinced yesterday morning to
back down when faced with the threat of ministers voting against her in
caucus.

It is believed to be the first time since Bob Hawke pushed ahead with
uranium mining at Coronation Hill in 1991 that a PM had defied
recommendations from cabinet.

Cabinet sources confirmed the PM was forced into a desperate backdown
during caucus yesterday after reported threats that Foreign Minister Bob
Carr would vote against her if it was put to a vote on the floor - a
precedent which would have forced his resignation.

The PM only warded off a caucus bloodbath by announcing a compromise
position for Australia to abstain from the UN vote. Her spokesman said
yesterday she did not comment on caucus or cabinet matters.

The forced shift in Middle East policy has stunned US and Israeli
officials who had believed Australia would vote in lock-step with them
against the UN resolution.

And it came largely through pressure from NSW Right MPs who were more
concerned a no vote at the UN would offend Middle East and Muslim
communities in their fragile southwest Sydney seats ahead of the election.

It is believed up to 10 cabinet ministers, including Mr Carr, Anthony
Albanese and Greg Combet, spoke against Ms Gillard's position to oppose
a UN resolution giving the Palestinian territories non-member observer
status. Ms Gillard also lost support from the Labor National Right,
which also met on Monday and refused to be bound to a vote in support of
the Prime Minister's position. Only two cabinet ministers, Victorian
Right faction leaders Bill Shorten and Stephen Conroy, are believed to
have supported her.

Mr Gillard is believed to have argued that a UN resolution to upgrade
the Palestinian status to non-member observer status could damage an
already fragile peace process.

A ceasefire is now in force between Palestinian militants Hamas and
Israel after a 10 days of conflict.

However, Mr Carr is believed to have spent an hour with Ms Gillard
before Monday night's cabinet meeting explaining the electoral problems
in Sydney if Australia did not at least abstain from the vote, if not
vote yes.

Senior Labor sources said Ms Gillard's leadership had come "close to the
brink".

"As it dawned on her that she would be in trouble numbers-wise, it
quickly came a straight out defacto leadership issue," one senior Labor
MP said. A senior minister said: "She came as close as she has ever come
to losing her job. She could not have handled this more poorly. She had
expected the Right to lock in on it.

"Her leadership would have crumbled around her."

But Mr Carr denied there had been threats or pressure brought to bear on
Ms Gillard, claiming that it was common sense for Australia to adopt a
middle-road approach to such a polarising issue.

He said she had "shaped the decision and showed smart leadership".

"Australia strongly supports a negotiated two-state solution that allows
a secure Israel to live side-by-side with a secure and independent
future Palestinian state," Mr Carr said.

Pro-Israel Labor MP Michael Danby, who chairs a parliamentary foreign
affairs committee, was reportedly among those angry at the PM's backflip.

(7) Zionist Federation seeks urgent meeting with Gillard over Palestine vote

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/gillard-under-jewish-pressure-over-palestine-20121128-2ad9t.html

Gillard under Jewish pressure over Palestine

Canberra Times

November 28, 2012 - 4:46PM

Daniel Flitton

A prominent Jewish community leader will seek an urgent meeting with
Prime Minister Julia Gillard with the hope Australia will yet oppose a
Palestinian seat in the United Nations.

Philip Chester, president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, said
time was of the essence before the Palestinian bid is put to the vote in
New York on Thursday (around 7.30 am Friday).

"We’re exploring that right now," Mr Chester said.

"Our aim is to talk to the Prime Minster at the first instance, others
we have to think about."

Ms Gillard’s decision on Tuesday for Australia would abstain in the
contentious plan to give Palestinians a greater say in the UN caught
many observers by surprise.

She was forced to abandon her personal opposition to the plan after a
heated cabinet discussion where at least 10 ministers warned she faced a
caucus revolt unless Australia at least sat on the fence.

Mr Chester was at pains to emphasise his organisation would not make
threats - "we’re not a lobby group in terms of how people should vote" –
but said many in the Jewish community had expressed surprise and
disappointment over Ms Gillard’s decision.

"Israel is very important to the community and both parties know that,"
he said.

He said Foreign Minister Bob Carr – who was instrumental in gathering
support for Australia to abstain – held a view in good faith but he
disagreed.

"We have talked to him before on some of these issues, we didn’t have a
sense that he supported unilateralism in the UN. I guess technically he
is not because he is abstaining, but I’m not sure as time goes on what
his view is going to be if this issue continues to ramp up," he said.

"I don’t want to use the term 'lose faith', but we are concernced, we
are very disappointed, and we need to understand better going forward
what this really means."

Mr Chester said things could happen on the floor of the UN that might
prompt the government to rethink its position.

The opposition seized in Senate question time on revelations Prime
Minister Julia Gillard had caved in to pressure from within her party
over the issue.

Senate opposition leader Eric Abetz asked if Foreign Minister Bob Carr
had threatened to vote against Ms Gillard in caucus and whether his
"honeyed words" were designed to paper over her humiliation.

"The answer to that is no," Senator Carr told the chamber. "I do like
his language ... honeyed words ... I like that deft Shakespearean touch."

Senator Carr said the decision was balanced. "The vast bulk of
Australians want a two-state solution," he told the chamber. "On
countless occasions the previous coalition government opted to abstain.
It’s a valid option."

Senator Carr said US ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich was
"entirely relaxed" about Australia’s stance. Mr Bleich has made public
comments expressing that sentiment.

with AAP

(8) Israel downplays Palestine vote: fireworks in Ramallah but
Settlements remain

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4312717,00.html

Israel tries to downplay Palestinians' UN bid

Jerusalem has accepted it won't be able to stop General Assembly from
upgrading PA's status. "There will be fireworks in Ramallah, but the
settlements will stay in place,' official says

Itamar Eichner

Published:

11.28.12, 10:44 / Israel News

Israel has accepted it cannot stop the Palestinians from going forward
with their UN status upgrade bid on Thursday. The General Assembly is
set to approve Mahmoud Abbas' bid to upgrade the Palestinian Authority's
status to from observer to non-member state.

"I wouldn't overstate the importance of the UN vote," a senior Israeli
official said. "True, we’re going to see fireworks in Ramallah but the
settlements will remain exactly where they are and the IDF will continue
to operate in the same areas."

The forum of top nine ministers has yet to decide what steps to take in
response but it appears Israel will keep a low profile so as not to turn
the focus away from the Palestinian move which clearly violates the Oslo
Accords.

On Tuesday, France officially announced it would be endorsing the
Palestinian bid. It is estimated that most Asian and African nations
will also vote in favor of the status upgrade.

Britain is set to abstain as will Italy, Australia and Germany. Israeli
officials estimate that other than Israel itself, the US, Canada,
Micronesia and Guatemala will vote against the bid.

Having realized the battle has been lost, Israeli officials are trying
to downplay the move. "We won't be passive and sit idly by," a state
official said, "but there's no need to issue statements. We'll respond
when the time is right."

Though Israel is accusing the Palestinians of grossly violating the Oslo
Accords it has announced it will continue to honor them herself.

However, it has been revealed that Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman
has recommended deducting the NIS 750 million owed by the PA to the
Israel Electric Corp. from the tax money Israel transfers to the
Palestinians every month, in accordance with 1994 Paris Agreement.

The state official also dismissed Palestinians threats to try Israeli
statesmen and officers over settlement construction in the International
Criminal Court. "We need not fear this," he said.

'Abbas fights for personal survival'

Meanwhile, Israel is stepping up its criticism of Abbas. A senior
official said Tuesday that the Palestinian president is no longer
relevant and that his UN bid is meant to guarantee his personal
political survival.

Abbas is a corrupt leader, he said, who has postponed the West Bank
elections for more than two years as he knows he will lose to Hamas.

Sources in Ramallah, on their part, said that Abbas is under heavy
pressure by the US and some European nations to withdraw his bid. "But
he has no choice, had he withdrawn his bid he would not have been able
to return to Ramallah and keep his seat."

The Palestinian leader is heading to New York with full backing from
Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.

Itamar Eichner is a Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth correspondent

Roni Shaked contributed to this report