Greens MLC slams pro-Israel Christian group
The NSW Greens claim a function for the Christian Friends of Israeli Communities is funding "illegal Israeli settlements" and that the parliament should reconsider hosting the organisation.
THE NSW Greens claim a function for the Christian Friends of Israeli Communities is funding “illegal Israeli settlements” and that the parliament should reconsider hosting the organisation.
Reverend Fred Nile is due to host the Christian Friends of Israeli Communities event on Monday, February 19, but Greens MLC Dr Mehreen Faruqi put a notice of motion to the parliament on Wednesday to try to have the event cancelled.
Faruqi stated that the United Nations Security Council recognised that Israeli settlements have no legal validity and that they are “a flagrant violation of international law and a major obstacle to the vision of two states living side-by-side in peace and security, within intentionally recognised borders”.
Her notice of motion went on to say, “The Christian Friends of Israeli Communities is an organisation that fundraises to provide infrastructure for illegal settlement project in the West Bank” and that the event “includes a donation to the organisation to continue its work in illegal settlements, in violation of international law”.
The motion “calls on the president of the Legislative Council to investigate whether approval of this function is consistent with the NSW Parliament’s Room and Venues Policy, including consistency with the values of the Parliament and whether such approval generates reputation risk for the institution.”
Nile screamed “censorship, censorship” as Faruqi was speaking.
“She’s just trying to stop our guest speaker, an Orthodox Jewish lady from Samaria,” he told The AJN.
“I think it just shows how belligerent and intolerant the Greens really are. It’s just ridiculous.”
NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel deputy chair and NSW Labor frontbencher Walt Secord said he would be objecting to the Greens motion as the Greens are trying to censor other parliamentarians.
Secord said he would support NSW Legislative Council president John Ajaka standing up to the Greens and urged him to reject their “crazy” demands.
“This is the latest example of the Greens and their hypocrisy and longstanding blind hatred of Israel,” Secord said.
“I support a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel with a Palestinian State.
“But the Greens do nothing to advance the cause of the peace.
“Rather than trying to promote intelligent and sensible discussion, the Greens are only using their parliamentary motion as another way to attack Israel.”
JOSHUA LEVI
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