What did Michael do in Israel?
Media reports it had evidence Labor MP Michael Danby had attended a security conference when he was reported visiting Israel last year when on sick leave from Parliament.
Michael Danby
J-Wire understands Danby said he had in fact attended the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism conference in Herzilia.
He spoke at press conference hosted by NGO Monitor which featured a ginger group, which oversees charities like World Vision and Save The Children. A ginger group is a highly active faction within a party or movement that presses for stronger action on a particular issue,
The press conference, which took place several days after the ICT conference, was reported by J Wire at the time.
Danby who is a member of the International Advisory Board of NGO Monitor joined it’s Executive Chairman Gerald Steinberg. They both expressed their concern about the alleged infiltration of the Australian taxpayer-funded charity World Vision. Israel’s Security Service (Shinbet) had arrested, jailed and charged World Visions Gaza Director for being a member of Hamas and channelling Australian taxpayers money to the terrorist organisation. Danby reminded the press conference that the parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security had for years officially registered Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
His remarks were widely reported in Israel, that such abuse of Australian tax dollars undermined support for foreign aid in Australia.
J-Wire understands Danby’s remarks were recorded by the ABC in Jerusalem, but no word of them was ever broadcast.
“They both expressed their concern about the alleged infiltration of the Australian taxpayer-funded charity World Vision”….
Good for them.