Labor friends of Palestine criticise Australia’s decision not to join sanctions on Israeli settlements in West Bank
Summary
Members of Australia’s Labor party have urged the government to join other countries in banning trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The foreign minister, Penny Wong, said Australia will apply more sanctions but is not currently banning settlement goods like the UK and others.Key Facts
- Labor Friends of Palestine, a group within the Labor party, want Australia to follow the UK, Canada, and France in banning trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
- The group stresses careful policy to target trade restrictions while protecting Palestinian workers and avoiding unintended problems.
- Australia has announced new sanctions on Israeli extremists involved in violence but is not yet banning goods from settlements.
- The UK is banning goods from illegal settlements and stopping arms exports; this process may take 6 to 9 months.
- Australia previously joined allies in sanctions against extremist settlers and those supporting violence against Palestinians.
- Labor’s national platform opposes Israel’s annexation of Palestinian land and calls for ending illegal settlements and occupation.
- Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Australian government disagrees with Israel’s policies and has sanctioned those responsible for settler violence.
- Wong is working with the family of an Australian aid worker killed in Gaza regarding an investigation by Israeli forces.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
