Payne’s swipe at UN over Hamas

Foreign Minister Marise Payne has issued a veiled swipe at the UN after it blocked a historic US resolution condemning Hamas.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne. Picture: AAP

Foreign Minister Marise Payne has issued a veiled swipe at the UN after it blocked a historic US resolution condemning the militant Palestinian group Hamas, describing the fundamentalist unit as a “terrorist organisation” engaged in ongoing violence against Israel.

The 193-member General ­Assembly on Thursday night voted down the US resolution, which was supported by Australia and 86 other countries.

Senator Payne last night told The Weekend Australian, following the failed US resolution, that Hamas should have been condemned in the strongest possible terms. “Australia supported this resolution to condemn the egregious and ongoing violent acts of the terrorist organisation Hamas,” she said.

“Australia condemns Hamas’ activities in the strongest possible terms. Australia’s principled position in the United Nations has been consistent.

“Australia supports a two-state solution that allows Israel and a future Palestinian state to exist side-by-side, in peace and ­security, within internationally recognised borders.”

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley accused the UN of being anti-Semitic and described the failure to pass the resolution a condemnation of the UN itself.

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that “rejecting the American-drafted resolution against the resistance represents a blow to the American administration”.

The move to formally condemn Hamas was in part a bid to address what the US and Australia claim is a blatant anti-Israel bias at the UN. It followed Australia’s move last week to vote for the first time against a UN resolution that explicitly denies ­Israel’s claim to sovereignty over Jerusalem.

The recent hardening of ­Middle East policy under the Morrison government comes ahead of a cabinet decision next week on whether to move Australia’s ­embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The anti-Hamas resolution measure won 87 votes in the General Assembly, falling short of the required two-thirds ­maj­ority. Fifty-eight countries ­opposed the measure and 32 ­abstained.

Chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Peter Wertheim accused the countries that voted against the resolution of being shortsighted. “It speaks volumes that the UN has passed hundreds of resolutions criticising Israel, and yet has only now for the first time entertained a motion criticising Hamas, which began its nefarious life as a terrorist organisation 30 years ago, and recently fired 400 rockets at Israeli cities and towns,” Mr Wertheim said.

The chair of the Australia/­Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, Mark Leibler, praised Australia’s stand but described the refusal to condemn Hamas as a “stain” on the UN.

“The Australian government has once again shown its commitment to peace between Israel and the Palestinians through its voting in the UN,” he said. “AIJAC welcomes and congratulates Australia on its consistent and principled approach to this region in the UN.”