Albert Speer's Nuremberg defence will not work for Bill Shorten when he is charged with collaboration in crimes against humanity

There is no such thing as values-free business, especially when it can readily be shown that harm and extreme violations of international and human rights law are direct results of your business activity. If a Minister in an elected government chooses to do business with Apartheid Israel they may find that one day there will be law suits as the victims come after them for their knowing and intentional acts. Bill Shorten, MP, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation; Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, a former trade union leader, is on notice that Albert Speer's Nuremberg defence will not work for Bill Shorten when he is charged with collaboration in crimes against humanity.

Bill Shorten MP Trade Mission to Israel

The Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce and the Embassy of Israel are delighted to advise that Minister Bill Shorten MP, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation; Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations will lead a Trade Mission to Israel from Sunday 29 April - Saturday 5 May, 2012. The trade mission will attempt to understand how is it that Israel-a country of 7.2 million people, a third of the size of Tasmania, sixty per cent desert, only sixty three years old, with limited natural resources-produces more start-ups than large, peaceful and stable nations like Japan, India, Korea, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Here is the letter written by Dr Vacy Vlazna

Dear Minister Shorten

With regard to your upcoming Trade Mission to Israel, as Israeli businesses linked to maintaining the occupation of Palestine (illegal under international law) have subsidiaries in Australia such as Elbit Australia, Rafael Australia, Strauss Group, etc as well as US arms subsidiaries in Israel eg Raytheon Australia and Thales Australia: you could use instead that time spent meeting them in Israel to-

*spend a day in Gaza while it is being bombarded by contributions by the aforementioned businesses and experience first hand their product success.

*as well as visit the mother of Ayoub Asalya who is still picking up fragments of her 12 year old son's body after he was hit by an Israeli surgical precision missile on 18-3-12

*and while there visit a Gazan hospital that is desperately trying to tend patients, including premature babies and dialysis patients, with little electricity and medicines

*and in your role as Minister for Employment meet with the hundreds of thousands of desperate unemployed Gazans (50% of Gaza) struggling to survive under Israel's illegal blockade

*spend a day in Silwan, East Jerusalem with a Palestinian family while it is being illegally evicted for the glorious judaisation of Jerusalem funded by the said businesses and Zionist Australians

*go to Hebron to see how Israeli economic policy works in Shuhada Street that is closed and empty of Palestinian businesses owned by now impoverished families

*while in Hebron accompany Palestinian children as they run the daily gamut to school of colonist verbal and stonethrowing harassment as well as ducking faeces and urine thrown by illegal colonists who are the pride of Israel and supported financially by Australian Zionist Jews

*pass through Israeli checkpoints from Bethlehem to Jerusalem alongside Palestinians and experience the humiliation and delays in the heat of the day

*visit a Palestinian school and watch as the heroic Israeli military burst in and kidnap 11 year old kids who won't see their parents for a month under administrative detention

*and why not take your delegates to visit 30 year old Hana Shalabi who is dying for her principled hunger-strike stand for freedom and justice after she was released and rearrested after the honorable Shalit prisoner deal still with no charge or trial. Hana wants to study nursing.

*perhaps a tour of Palestinian farms that have had their orchards uprooted for the illegal Annexation Wall and illegal colonies that spread like cancer across stolen Palestinian lands and lost livelihoods.

Israel, the only democratic, peace-loving, dovish and non-nuclear country in the Middle East, has so much reality to enlighten you and your delegation.

When on your return, it is business as usual with Israel then we will know that your political ambition trumps international law, justice and compassion.

Sincerely

Dr Vacy Vlazna

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