BOB HAWKE "ALBO YOUR A BLOODY EMBASSASSMENT RESIGN NOW "
BOB HAWKE "ALBO YOUR A BLOODY EMBASSASSMENT RESIGN NOW "
He first visited in 1971 as ACTU president, met Golda Meir (which he called life-changing), and returned after the 1973 Yom Kippur War as one of the first non-Israeli visitors to the Golan Heights. He publicly described Israel as a small democracy whose fate mattered to the world: “If the bell tolls for Israel, it won’t just toll for Israel, it will toll for all mankind.” He clashed with Gough Whitlam over the latter’s more even-handed policy, faced death threats for his stance, and later told his biographer he felt “I’m an Israeli” and would want to be born Jewish if he had his life again.
As prime minister he was the first sitting Australian PM to visit Israel (1987), hosted Israel’s president, backed the campaign for Soviet Jewry, and pushed Australia to help repeal the UN’s “Zionism is racism” resolution. A forest was named after him in Israel. Jewish community organisations and the Israeli embassy described him as a genuine friend after his death in 2019.
Later in life he became more critical of Israeli government policy (especially settlements and the Netanyahu era), supported Palestinian statehood as part of a two-state solution, met Yasser Arafat, and argued Israel risked its own character if it did not resolve the occupation. He still affirmed Israel’s right to exist behind secure borders. That evolution does not erase the earlier, very public record of strong personal and political support. note ISRAEL left GAZA for 20 years and HAMAS (terrorost took over ) the 2 state solution never worked and will never work as proven over the years . Graham Healy Thur 1/10/26
