Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull backs Israel, slams United Nations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull shake hands during their joint press conference at Kirribilli House, in Sydney, February 22, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has expressed strong support for the Israeli regime and slammed a recent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution demanding an end to the illegal construction of Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land.

Turnbull’s all-out support for the Tel Aviv regime came on Wednesday as he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his first visit to Australia as part of a publicized effort to expand Israeli ties with Asian governments.

Going out of his way to openly defend the Israeli regime’s policy of expanding settlements in violation of UNSC resolutions, Turnbull censured the world body and pledged to never support “one-sided resolutions.” Australia is not a member of the UNSC.

The UNSC passed a resolution in late December last year, condemning Israeli settlement construction. The vote was made possible because the United States, a frequent supporter of the Israeli regime, uncharacteristically decided to abstain rather than exercise its veto power at the UNSC.

Turnbull also published an opinion piece in the Wednesday edition of The Australian newspaper, in which he “deplored” anti-Israeli action.

“My government will not support one-sided resolutions criticizing Israel of the kind recently adopted by the UN Security Council and we deplore the boycott campaigns designed to delegitimize” Israel, Turnbull wrote.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a business luncheon in Sydney, Australia, February 22, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Netanyahu said he was delighted to read the article at the outset of his four-day tour of Australia.

“Australia has been courageously willing to puncture UN hypocrisy more than once,” he told reporters.

“The UN is capable of many absurdities and I think it’s important that you have straightforward and clear-eyed countries like Australia that often bring it back to earth,” Netanyahu added after a meeting with his Australian counterpart.

According to local press reports, the two officials signed agreements on technology and air services after discussing the expansion of cooperation in the areas of cyber-security, military, economy, and innovation and science.