Australia recently surprised everyone by abstaining on two UN General Assembly resolutions targeting Israel, signaling that the folks “down under” are growing fed up with the world body’s biased approach to the Israeli-Arab conflict.

Like most other nations, Australia typically votes in favor of the dozens of UN resolutions targeting Israel every year. By the end of the General Assembly’s current session, it will have passed 22 resolutions against Israel, and only four against the rest of the world combined.

Australian media wondered: why the change? (Can everyone say Tony Abbott?) A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told the Canberra Times that the recent abstentions “reflected the (Australian) government’s concern that Middle East resolutions should be balanced.”

The newspaper noted that the two resolutions on which Australia refused to vote condemned Israeli “settlement activity,” while making no mention whatsoever of continued Palestinian terrorism and incitement.

In related news, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper continued to demonstrate his overt support for and love of Israel in his attendance of the annual Jewish National Fund gala dinner in Toronto.

Harper told the attendees that “Israel will always have Canada,” before taking the stage and delighting the guests as the lead singer of a four-man rock band.