|
Trending Topics
|
Source: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/11/09/1226165386581.html
Australia Switches Position, Votes Against Israel at UN
[Sydney Morning Herald-Australia] Phillip Hudson - Australia has switched its position to vote against Israel on two resolutions at the UN, ending the Howard government's unswerving alignment with the U.S. and raising concern from the Jewish community. The move also signals that the Rudd government plans to take a different approach on the international stage. The Howard government had backed such resolutions from 1996 to 2002 but in 2003 began to vote against or abstain. The president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Robert Goot, said, "We are concerned that the vote has changed, we do not understand the basis for the change." Last month Australia announced new sanctions on Iran but backed down on a pledge to force the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, before an international court on charges of inciting genocide.