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Anti-Turkish attitude of Australia’s PM? A Gallipoli card? · 5 July 2010

Can Turkey play a Gallipoli card against Australia?

Australia’s new prime minister, Julia Gillard, this week said she had no plan for big changes in foreign affairs. “Sitting here now it’s not my intention to change any of the fundamentals of our foreign policy,’’ she said. “So, obviously, support the American alliance; support the continued deployment in Afghanistan – I had a comprehensive briefing about that; our support for Israel; focus on our region.”

It seems odd that Israel ranks so high in her view of Australia’s foreign policy priorities.

I have written in the past about the grip which Israel seems to have over Australia’s policy regarding the situation in Gaza: http://www.jeffschubert.com/index.php?id=83

This grip now seems to be tightening.

Gillard has, in the past, defended Israel’s policies toward Gaza. Her latest live-in partner, Tim Mathieson, was a hair-dresser until he was hired in November 2009 to be a “property consultant” by Albert Dadon – a property developer and Israeli lobbyist, who is the founder of the Australia Israel Leadership Forum. According to news reports, Gillard and Mathieson had led a group of Australian politicians to Jerusalem for the first Australia Israel Leadership Forum in June 2009.

A former Australian ambassador to Israel, Ross Burns, has accused Gillard of being silent on the ‘’excesses’’ of Israel and questioned why Mathieson had been given the job by Dadon.

My view is that any fool can figure out what is going on here!

Gillard may have had her strong pro-Israeli views for some time, but Dadon is paying to make sure they will be sustained – even if they are detrimental to Australia’s interests!

The Israeli lobby in Australia (led by such people as Dadon and Frank Lowy) uses money as its weapon of power.

But, if need be, Turkey may have a very powerful emotional card in the form of the annual (25 April) ANZAC Day celebrations at Gallipoli in Turkey. No Australian politician would want to be accused of putting these on-the-spot ceremonies (which are attended by thousands of Australians) at risk.

If Australia takes Israel’s side in its present dispute with Turkey (following the flotilla attack), the Gallipoli card might be worth playing.

Turkey might also follow up the following commentы by Australian photographer Kate Geraghty who was with the attacked flotilla. She said the Israeli attack was ‘’pretty full on’’. ‘’Three of the soldiers on the deck were Australian-Israelis, I couldn’t believe it. It is startling enough to have black-masked commandos hijack your boat on the high seas, but when the orders and the threat that any who resist will be shot are barked in Australian accents on the far side of the world, it becomes surreal.”

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