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August 28, 2023

The Australian government is once again playing politics and law games with parcels of land, more disputed than any on Earth.  Its Foreign Affairs minister, Penny Wong, announced that  the government would revert to regarding the so called West Bank as “Occupied Palestinian Territories” (OPT).

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“The Australian government is strengthening its opposition to settlements by affirming they are illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace,” Wong said. “In adopting the term, we are clarifying that the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, were occupied by Israel following the 1967 War, and that the occupation continues.”

By adopting this provocative stance, Australia made common cause with a spectrum of countries, forums, law courts, cause groups, and anti-Semites using OPT to make Israel an outcast among the nations, the lone prey for packs of circling wolves.

Who are the most invested stakeholders, and what stakes are up for grabs?

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(1) For Israel, OPT presents an existential threat of sovereign fiefdoms ruled by terror groups in walking distance of downtown and suburban Israel.  To forestall such a threat, her leaders have to skate on slippery diplomatic ice.

(2) For those promoting or applying international law, OPT relegates it to a Mickey Mouse league.

(3) For dreamers of a Two-State Solution, OPT is a consoling interim prize.

(4) For perhaps nine tenths of U.N. members, OPT moves them a step closer to canceling the right of Israel to exist.

(5) For America and Europe, it remains a handy lever to get Israeli leaders to do their bidding.

(6) For all players, OPT means a continuous wrestling match with no holds barred.