Australia votes against most of the world at UN in support of Israel 30Nov10 December 22, 2010 On five Resolutions based on the question of Palestine / Israel, Australia voted against the majority of the world in support of Israel on four occasions and abstained on one. Most notably Australia basically voted in support of Israel's continued illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories (see text below) and all the denial of human rights that go with it. Convinced that a just, lasting and comprehensive settlement to the question of Palestine -- the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict -- was imperative for lasting Middle East peace, the General Assembly today stressed the urgent need for sustained international involvement, including by the Middle East diplomatic Quartet, to support both parties in resuming stalled peace negotiations. That position was echoed in a broad-based resolution on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, adopted by a recorded vote of 165 in favour to 7 against (Australia, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and United States), with 4 abstentions (Cameroon, Canada, Cte d'Ivoire, Tonga).  (See Annex VI)  The text was one of six adopted by recorded vote in a flurry of action that capped the Assembly's two-day discussion of that issue along with the broader quest for peace in the Middle East. By the terms of the text, the Assembly reaffirmed the illegality of Israeli actions intended to change the status of Jerusalem, and expressed deep concern at closures and severe restrictions on the