Earlier in the week, the IDF announced the beginning of Operation Northern Shield after discovering Hezbollah efforts to construct a network of terror tunnels on the Lebanon border.
President of the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) Jeremy Leibler said, “the discovery of these terror tunnels proves that Hezbollah is in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 on at least 3 counts including:
“The ZFA condemns these blatant violations of international law and the deafening silence of the Security Council in the face of such violations. In addition, we send our support to the IDF soldiers carrying out this defensive operation, and to the citizens of Israel’s north”.
Mr. Leibler also commented on yesterday’s US sponsored UN General Assembly resolution which condemned terrorist organisation Hamas for firing rockets and for inciting violence. The resolution did not pass as it did not gain a 2/3 majority, which was required because of a last minute push by the Palestinians. 87 countries voted in favour of the resolution, 57 against and 33 abstained. Unsurprisingly, all Arab states voted against this resolution as did Indonesia and Malaysia.
Leibler said, “It is reassuring that that 87 countries, including Australia, voted to condemn Hamas. However, it is disappointing that the UN General Assembly imposed a two thirds majority requirement on the resolution thereby reaffirming the double standard applied to Israel by the UN where there was no such requirement for the 6 recent anti-Israel resolutions passed by the General Assembly.“
Mr Leibler once again thanked the Australian Government for “taking the principled decision to vote in favour this resolution together with the 86 other countries that chose to call out Hamas for the terrorist organisation it is.”
For more information contact:
Emily Gian, Media and Advocacy Director – 9272 5528, emily@zfa.com.au
