A tale of two parties

While not perfect, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus’ bill banning the display and trade of Nazi symbols is a welcome development.

For the first time, the display of two of the most common Nazi symbols will be made illegal Australia-wide. Significantly, the bill will also outlaw the trading of items featuring these heinous symbols – a game-changer that will go a long way towards ensuring such artefacts stay out of the hands of neo-Nazis and others who glorify the regime.

We of course haven’t agreed with everything this Labor government has done. Its decision to rescind the previous government’s recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was both poor and poorly handled. Its shifting of positions at the UN General Assembly and doubling of foreign aid to UNRWA, while well-meaning, are an own goal in the pursuit of Israeli-Palestinian peace.

But turning to domestic issues and this bill, the government is to be commended not just for the outcome but for the consultative process that led to it. It involved our community in something that affects and concerns us.

This is what a mainstream political party with the actual ability to effect change looks like.

Now compare Labor to the Greens.

Unburdened by ever actually having to govern, it is of course easy for the Greens to take whatever ludicrous policy positions align with their narrow and perverse worldview.

Yet this far-left ideological rabble masquerading as a progressive party have yet again proven themselves to be utterly clueless about the actual realities on the ground in Israel and the Palestinian territories, while remaining downright arrogant in their obstinate belief that they are right.

Rather than engage with the issues – or indeed our community – before labelling Israel an “apartheid state”, the Greens have chosen to echo the same vile political propaganda that is spouted by such luminaries as Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.

This is on top of their continued rejection of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, a position the party has come to, again, without engaging with our community.

Never has the distinction between a party fit to govern and one that is not been more stark.

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