Open letter to Gillard, Rudd et al re Israel trip

The following letter was sent to all MPs and Senators in the Australian
Parliament. It is being sent to you in the public interest. Already a
number of groups and individuals have written their own letters to the
parliamentary members of the delegation to Israel. We urge all of you to do
the same. Our politicians should know that we the people expect them to
uphold the standards of fairness and integrity that are integral to good
government and not allow themselves to be compromised by any interested
groups no matter how powerful. If our government insists on supporting this
delegation, then we should also be insisting that it pursue with rigour the
same balance that is constantly, even aggressively demanded, when a
Palestinian perspective is aired. Please write to the prime minister and/or
the Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd who is heading the delegation telling them
that an even-handed approach should not only be followed, but that the
composition and itinerary of the delegation must be transparently seen to be
fair and balanced.

The Hon Julia Gillard MP
Prime Minister of Australia
Parliament House,
CANBERRA ACT 2600

The Hon Kevin Rudd MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives,
Parliament House.
CANBERRA ACT 2600

Email: Kevin.Rudd.MP@aph.gov.au

A copy of the letter and the briefing document sent to 22 members of the
delegation is attached for your interest. Also attached is a list of the
parliamentary delegation and members of the media.

SK

Letter of concern and briefing document
sent to parliamentary members and
media representatives in delegation to Israel

Dear Senator/Member of Parliament,

The reported visit of 17 ministers, members and senators of the Australian
Parliament to Israel as part of a 40 member delegation in December is a
cause for serious concern. That the visit is being arranged and is partly
funded by the privately owned Australia Israel Leadership Forum (AILF) and
that many of those going are known Israel supporters, already brings into
question the value of a trip so one-sided. As far as we have been able to
ascertain, there are no representatives from the Greens or Independents or
from the Australian Parliamentary Friends of Palestine; there is no visit
scheduled in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and there are no meetings
with Palestinian representatives whether from the Palestinian Authority, the
PLO, Palestinian members of the Knesset, Hamas leaders, heads of churches or
NGOs.

Such a visit cannot possibly open the delegation up to the realities on the
ground. In the interests of giving at least a balanced report, we have
offered to facilitate meetings with Dr Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian negotiator
and a PLO executive member and Palestinian Knesset members Haneen Zoabi and
Dr Jamal Zahalka who have all made themselves available.

We are asking that you use your good offices to urge your colleagues to take
up this offer, and if they refuse, to challenge them in the parliament for
not taking the opportunity to give the Australian public a fair and accurate
account of a critical political situation that impacts constantly on world
affairs.

Attached is a copy of the letter that accompanied a briefing document (also
attached) in hard copy sent to 22 members of the delegation. We think that you
will find enough issues in that document to warrant any delegation’s investigation.
The failure to do so would amount to a serious neglect of Australia’s
responsibility as a signatory to the Fourth Geneva Convention and our moral
responsibility under all humanitarian conventions and human considerations.

Kind regards,

Sonja Karkar
Co-founder and co-convener
Australians for Palestine
PO Box 2099
Hawthorn VIC 3122
Melbourne – Australia
Mobile: 0401 100 147
http://australiansforpalestine.com