The tragic death of Ben Zygier in an Israeli prison cell has seized the imagination of our friends at the ABC, where supposed sinister implications, and the presumed culpability of Israel, make it their kind of story. The case is distressing, but since Zygier was an Israeli citizen and joined that country's secret service, Australia's role is tangential at best.
Many will have found the obsession with this story on Monday's edition of Q&A disquieting. There was no discussion about another Australian passport holder, wanted for a murderous terrorist act in Bulgaria, who is hiding in Lebanon, where he has joint citizenship, rather than returning to Australia where the law is enforced and extradition requests are entertained.
Citizenship is not a flag of convenience, to be raised and lowered when it suits; which brings us to the strange case of Julian Assange, absent from these shores for the past six years, who now declares he will be standing at the next election for the Senate. That is his right, and we would not discourage anyone from offering their services to democracy, but Mr Assange's name would sit more proudly on the ballot paper if he first cleared up the outstanding matter of sexual misconduct charges in Sweden. There is a simple way to do this, one that does not impose an unreasonable burden on the British legal system, make unsubstantiated claims about American perfidy, trespass further upon the good nature of the Ecuadorians or waste the resources of Australian diplomats who, as best as we can judge, have no reason to intervene. Mr Assange should catch a flight to Stockholm (low-season fares start at $60) to assist with inquiries. He has no reason to fear the Swedes' transparent and appealable legal system. Diggers in World War I reserved the accusation "bludging on the flag" for shiftless and undependable comrades. The modern crime of bludging on the passport is an affront to those who pay their share of taxes, honour their responsibilities and respect the law.
