Professor Ben Saul (Professor of International Law, Sydney Centre for International Law, University of Sydney) (2014): “ The Australian government has become an apologist for Israeli war crimes and a wrecker of sacred international humanitarian law principles. Last week, Australia’s foreign minister Julie Bishop asked to see which international law declared Israel’s settlements in Palestine illegal. Australia’s new position contradicts almost 50 years of international consensus in the United Nations General Assembly, the Security Council and the International Court of Justice. The Abbott government earlier reversed Australia’s long-standing bipartisan opposition to the settlements in the UN.. Australians deserve better from their foreign minister. At the very least, she should know what the law is. Every other country knows it. But Australia should also stand against war crimes, not excuse them. It should fight for the Geneva Conventions, humanitarian principles and the rule of law, not undermine them. And it should not give succour to the dirty politics of Israel’s criminal colonial enterprise” ( Ben Saul, "Settlements illegal under what law? Take your pick Minister”, The Conversation, 24 January 2014: https://theconversation.com/settlements-illegal-under-what-law-take-your-pick-minister-22341 .)