By Sonja Karkar
(founder and president of Women for Palestine and one of the founders and co-convener of Australians for Palestine in Melbourne, Australia. She is also the editor of www.australiansforpalestine.com and contributes articles on Palestine regularly to various publications. Contact her at: sonjakarkar@womenforpalestine.org.)
Palestine Chronicle
"The news that former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was in Australia and was welcomed by the honourable members of our parliament came as somewhat of a shock. It is one thing to have allowed a man on corruption charges as well as facing war crimes indictments into Australia at all; it is another thing that he was listed as a distinguished guest in Hansard - the official record of parliamentary proceedings - and received a resounding “hear, hear” from our elected representatives......
There is a danger that Australia could become a safe haven for Israeli war criminals if political pressure is allowed to interfere in the work of the judiciary, despite Australia’s obligations under international law and Division 268 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), which criminalises genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The question for Australians will be whether justice and universal human rights is something they wish to champion over the political concerns and self-interests of whatever government is in power. The opportunity may have been missed with Olmert, but there will be no shortage of opportunities as long as our government continues to play host to war criminals whether from Israel or elsewhere."
(founder and president of Women for Palestine and one of the founders and co-convener of Australians for Palestine in Melbourne, Australia. She is also the editor of www.australiansforpalestine.com and contributes articles on Palestine regularly to various publications. Contact her at: sonjakarkar@womenforpalestine.org.)
Palestine Chronicle
"The news that former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was in Australia and was welcomed by the honourable members of our parliament came as somewhat of a shock. It is one thing to have allowed a man on corruption charges as well as facing war crimes indictments into Australia at all; it is another thing that he was listed as a distinguished guest in Hansard - the official record of parliamentary proceedings - and received a resounding “hear, hear” from our elected representatives......
There is a danger that Australia could become a safe haven for Israeli war criminals if political pressure is allowed to interfere in the work of the judiciary, despite Australia’s obligations under international law and Division 268 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), which criminalises genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The question for Australians will be whether justice and universal human rights is something they wish to champion over the political concerns and self-interests of whatever government is in power. The opportunity may have been missed with Olmert, but there will be no shortage of opportunities as long as our government continues to play host to war criminals whether from Israel or elsewhere."
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