Zionist Federation of Australia President Jeremy Leibler slammed the UN’s blacklist of Israeli businesses and called on the government to condemn it. “A list of sanctioned Jewish businesses, created by a body consisting of some of the world’s worst human rights abusers, is reminiscent of 1930s Germany”, he said. “This move will not advance peace, and was not designed to advance peace”, he continued. “The Australian Government and all other political parties should condemn it for what it is: antisemitic and antithetical to progress to peace.”
Mr Leibler continued, “The blacklist was commissioned as economic warfare against the Jewish state. Far from mobilising pressure against the settlement movement, the move has already backfired by uniting Israeli politicians and people in outrage. The blacklisted businesses employ thousands of Palestinians at higher wages and better conditions than the Palestinian average. This blacklist will hurt Palestinians and the Palestinian economy far more than it does Israel. Israelis and Palestinians agreed almost 30 years ago that settlements would be negotiated as part of final status talks. Palestinians have refused to negotiate since walking away from talks in 2014. The Palestinians will not succeed in removing any settlements through economic warfare and Nazi-like blacklists, but only through negotiations.”
Australia was not a member of the Human Rights Council when the resolution calling for this list was passed, and so did not have the opportunity to vote against it. The ZFA acknowledges that Australia has used its subsequent position on the Human Rights Council to vote against similarly biased resolutions.
