In 2025, the crisis in Palestine brought international law to a breaking point. Australia’s response, marked by caution and inaction, raises hard questions about responsibility, principle and moral leadership.

The editor invited me to consider an article addressing the year in review. The obvious major issues are, of course, Palestine, Ukraine and alleged Russian imperialism, and the American government. As for this last, it embraces issues such as American domination and control of countries within the Western Hemisphere, Columbia, Venezuela, etc., as well as AUKUS, and where Australia should place the US in its spectrum of allies.

There are of course other events and issues that should be noted – the Sinophobia that is being thrust upon Australians, and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.

To me, Palestine is the most significant. Whilst the genocide in Gaza has received, rightly, the principal attention, it is clear that the West Bank is increasingly being occupied by settlers eager to eliminate every Palestinian that is there. It is now apparent that Israel is rapidly heading towards the annexation of the West Bank and such action will garner equal attention to that of Gaza.

The Palestinian issue necessarily embraces such matters as Lebanon,........

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