The Daily Danby

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Yet a third story has developed today featuring Federal Labor MP Michael Danby…this time a yarn in The Jerusalem Post clearly stating that Danby is to present a case to the Australian parliament requesting that Australia offer African migrants to Israel the opportunity of resettling Down Under. Not so, says Mr Danby.

The article appeared in the Jerusalem paper yesterday…read it here

But Danby denies ever having had any meeting with Danon on this subject and tells J-Wire that no-one checked the story with him.

Michael Danby

Danby said:  “There was no meeting with Danny Danon in the Knesset during my recent visit. Many Knesset members attended a session at the International Conference of Jewish Parliamentarians with myself and other Jewish Mps such as  Irwin Cotler ( Canada) and Gary Ackerman ( Democrat of New York). I have not discussed with Mr Danon the possibility of Australia taking refugees from Israel.  I did not meet him.  I have no such power as the Jerusalem Post claims to bring this before parliament, and I was never contacted by the Jerusalem Post to check the validity of the claims made in the article. There was no meeting, no discussion and no agreement.  Danny Danon is a nice guy. He must have been misquoted. The last time I saw him was at the leadership forum in Israel in December, where I made a public speech outlining the recent history of Australia’s immigration policy. I deplore the use of terms like ‘Muslim infiltrators’. I publicly told the forum then that the Israelis had to do what we did, and that is make an assessment of asylum seekers status and background. I said publicly then and restate that it is impossible for any one country, Australia or Israel to forcibly return people who have  good grounds for fearing for their lives. That is not to say that Australia or Israel cannot return people to their countries of origin if they have agreements with those governments and that the people being returned have not been assessed as refugees or have legitimate fear for their lives.”

J-Wire has asked the newly-appointed of the Jerusalem Post for clarification and is awaiting his reply.