Malcolm Fraser was prime minister of Australia from 1975 to 1983.
Although his Government at the time did little other than to blindly follow a pro-Israel line, Fraser, now Chairman of CARE Australia, writes in an op-ed piece in The Age "Israel's actions foster extremism" that people just have to talk to Hamas. There is really no other option or alternative. In coming forward as he has, even if belatedly, Fraser shames the present Australian Government which has simply been silent in the wake of Israel's battering of the people of Gaza. So much for a government which claims to show a human face in its policies.
"There will be no peace and no settlement, no progress until Israel and the US are prepared to talk to Hamas. It would have been easy after the Hamas election to say that from our point of view your policies in relation to Israel must change, but we welcome your participation in the democratic process and we will therefore sit down and talk with you and seek areas of agreement. Progress would not have been easy, but if you wish to end enmity to create a peace in which everyone can benefit you must talk to your enemy."
And:
"Far from destroying Hamas, Israel may well find that its actions strengthen resistance and earn it increased hatred and an increase in anti-Semitic activities around the world. It will make it even harder for a genuine peace process to be undertaken.
There are few political leaders in the West prepared to speak against Israel or to criticise Israeli policies. While debate often rages in Israel itself, criticism of Israel from other countries or by non-Jews is often condemned as anti-Semitic, a title nobody wants to wear.
Partly as a consequence of this concern, Israel has had a lock on the policies of the US and a great influence over the policies of Britain and of Australia. I used to regard Israel as a light on the hill. Somewhere along the line in the years after the 1967 war, principle has been put aside and the search for a peaceful future seems to have been forgotten."
Although his Government at the time did little other than to blindly follow a pro-Israel line, Fraser, now Chairman of CARE Australia, writes in an op-ed piece in The Age "Israel's actions foster extremism" that people just have to talk to Hamas. There is really no other option or alternative. In coming forward as he has, even if belatedly, Fraser shames the present Australian Government which has simply been silent in the wake of Israel's battering of the people of Gaza. So much for a government which claims to show a human face in its policies.
"There will be no peace and no settlement, no progress until Israel and the US are prepared to talk to Hamas. It would have been easy after the Hamas election to say that from our point of view your policies in relation to Israel must change, but we welcome your participation in the democratic process and we will therefore sit down and talk with you and seek areas of agreement. Progress would not have been easy, but if you wish to end enmity to create a peace in which everyone can benefit you must talk to your enemy."
And:
"Far from destroying Hamas, Israel may well find that its actions strengthen resistance and earn it increased hatred and an increase in anti-Semitic activities around the world. It will make it even harder for a genuine peace process to be undertaken.
There are few political leaders in the West prepared to speak against Israel or to criticise Israeli policies. While debate often rages in Israel itself, criticism of Israel from other countries or by non-Jews is often condemned as anti-Semitic, a title nobody wants to wear.
Partly as a consequence of this concern, Israel has had a lock on the policies of the US and a great influence over the policies of Britain and of Australia. I used to regard Israel as a light on the hill. Somewhere along the line in the years after the 1967 war, principle has been put aside and the search for a peaceful future seems to have been forgotten."
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