Western governments across the world are standing up to Israeli plans to annex the West Bank, but Australia’s voice is conspicuously silent. Indeed, Australia has played a prominent role in the region since H.V. ‘Doc’ Evatt, former Attorney General and President of the United Nations General Assembly worked to secure the Partition Plan of November 1947 that ultimately led to the establishment of the State of Israel. Since then, Australia, like many Western allies has withheld its criticism of Israel, speaking out only occasionally relating to matters of peace, security and democracy.

Yet as the July 1st deadline approaches for the Israeli Government to annex the West Bank, Australia needs to break its silence and speak out as so many other allies have done, to stand for democracy and equal rights in Israel and Palestine.