Rebuke for Rhiannon over flotilla furore
EXECUTIVE Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) president Danny Lamm has issued NSW Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon with a stinging rebuke, after she accused Israel of acting illegally in detaining Australian Michael Coleman.
EXECUTIVE Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) president Danny Lamm has issued NSW Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon with a stinging rebuke, after she accused Israel of acting illegally in detaining Australian Michael Coleman.
Coleman was detained by the Israeli Navy last week after a boat he was on attempted to breach the Gaza blockade.
Rhiannon called on the Israeli Government to release Coleman immediately and end the blockade, which she branded unlawful.
“As usual, when it comes to Israel, Senator Rhiannon has blundered badly,” Lamm said.
“She is wrong on the facts and wrong on the law.”
Rhiannon said that members of the flotilla were restrained with handcuffs and shackles and that one member had been tasered, while AAP is reporting others were “beaten or roughed up”.
The IDF released a statement confirming it had boarded the boats, but said the interception was peaceful.
Lamm said Rhiannon’s intimation that Coleman was mistreated is baseless.
“There is not a skerrick of evidence that Michael Coleman is in any danger, as she [Rhiannon] has implied.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade wouldn’t be drawn on Coleman’s condition, but told The AJN that consular assistance had been provided in Israel.
“The Australian Embassy in Israel is continuing to provide consular assistance to a 35-year-old Australian man from New South Wales who was detained on November 4 and has now been transferred to an immigration facility,” the spokesperson said.
“Consular officials visited him on November 5 and 7. Consular officials in Australia are also in close contact with the man’s family, most recently on November 8, 2011.”
Coleman was arrested back in July for his part in the attempted obstruction of a Greek vessel that was due to assist Israel in the blockade of Gaza.
Lamm described as “ludicrous” assertions by the so-called Freedom Waves flotilla that the recent attempted breach of the blockade was necessary to deliver medical aid.
“More than 30,000 tons of supplies are transported into Gaza from Israel every week, including at least five truckloads of medical supplies. The people who want to break the blockade are not interested in providing humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians.”
The Israeli Embassy in Australia declined to comment on the matter.
ADAM KAMIEN
Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon
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