Israel is condemning a new South African regulation requiring that products made in West Bank settlements must be labeled as coming from “occupied Palestinian territory.” A Foreign Ministry spokesman, Yigal Palmor, called the requirement “totally unacceptable.” He said, “What is totally unacceptable is the use of tools which, by essence, discriminate and single out, fostering a general boycott.”

Pro-Palestinian groups have been promoting a campaign to boycott Israeli products and withdraw investments from Israeli companies. The European Union does not grant the same customs concessions to products made in settlements as it does to those made in Israel, a policy that has drawn Israeli protests.

Israel - Label Rule Stirs Israeli Officials Ire

The UN General Assembly declared 1971 the International Year for Action to Combat Racism & Racial Discrimination, with the aim of achieving substantial progress in eliminating all forms & manifestations of racism & racial discrimination, including the policies of apartheid (racial segregation) practiced in South Africa.

The Australian Government readily announced its support, with then Prime Minister William McMahon advising the Australian Committee to Combat Racism & Racial Discrimination that racism was 'not acceptable to the Australian way of life'.

How is it that the current Australian government is willing to ignore the practices of apartheid being systematically pursued by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories?

Or are our ‘warm’ relations with another ‘special friend’ just further evidence of the shameful moral decline that has infected western governments over the past 60 years?