The following articles were published in "The Guardian", newspaper of
the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, October
28th, 2003.
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Editorial: Let us welcome Dr Hanan Ashrawi
The decision of the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Lucy Turnbull to withdraw from
events at which the Sydney Peace Award to Dr Hanan Ashrawi will be
presented has highlighted a sickness in Australian society and it is not
anti-Semitism. It is the racism of many who pursue the Zionist objective
to occupy Palestinian lands and conquer its people. It is part of the
hate campaign by some Australian politicians and sections of the media
towards the Palestinian people. There is a strong Zionist lobby in
Australia.
The Lord Mayor claimed that Dr Ashrawi "is on record as one of the few
members of the Palestinian National Council to vote against the Oslo
peace accord and a two-state solution in the Middle East". It appears
that the Lord Mayor was misinformed and overstepped her authority. She
had not received the backing of the Sydney City Council when she
withdrew her support for the award presentation.
The Australian Jewish News backed her stand, as did the Deputy leader of
the NSW Opposition Liberal Party who said, "The fact is that, as
documented, Ashrawi is neither a moderate nor a peace activist."
The fact is that Dr Ashrawi was one of the negotiators of the Oslo
Accords, acting on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. She has
condemned attacks that kill innocent Israeli citizens and supports the
formation of a state of Palestine alongside Israel.
Professor Stuart Rees, the Executive Director of the Sydney Peace
Foundation said the Foundation's jury was unanimous in supporting her
selection. Professor Rees strongly refutes claims that Dr Ashrawi is
opposed to peace. He has come under enormous pressure to withdraw the
prize and cancel Dr Ashrawi's visit.
The Jewish Board of Deputies has formally called on NSW Premier Bob
Carr, who has agreed to present the award, to reconsider his decision.
The Zionist lobby has for many years accused anyone who makes a
criticism of Zionism or the Jewish state of Israel of being
anti-Semitic. This ploy is nothing more than a cover by which to smother
and silence any criticism of Israel and the extremely reactionary,
aggressive and racist policies and actions of its government.
The extreme right Zionists claim to have a god-given right to seize the
lands of Palestinians who have lived in Palestine for many generations,
just as some Jewish families have also done. Their objective remains the
creation of a Greater Israel - at the expense of the many thousands of
Palestinians who have lived peacefully side by side with Jewish families
for generations - until the Zionists created a racist and religious
divide that led directly to the present conflict. The former British
colonialists helped to create these divisions by promising the land to
both Jews and Arabs.
A statement by the Australian Palestine Human Rights Campaign says, "The
reality is that the pro-Zionist lobby is opposed to any recognition of
[the] positive Palestinian contribution. It is apparent from the
vitriolic attack levelled against Ashrawi that they seem to struggle
with any recognition of our humanity, of our achievements and of our
commitments to the notion of peace."
The state of Israel has been the aggressor in the region, launching the
1967 war against Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. The military forces of Israel
invaded Lebanon for a second time in the 1980s. The present Israeli
Government has renewed threats against Syria and recently bombed Syrian
territory. It is the state of Israel that instigated a policy of
assassinations of Palestinians and during frequent military incursions,
killed many Palestinian civilians.
This does not excuse the use by the Palestinian resistance of tactics
that are aimed at Israeli civilians. Resistance against occupation and
invasion is fully justified but tactics must be used that weaken the
invaders rather than providing justification in the eyes of many for
Israeli aggression and assassinations.
Zionist racism must be exposed and opposed just as racism from any other
quarter. The award to Dr Ashrawi is fully justified and her pending
visit to Sydney to receive the award needs to be supported.
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