PRIME MINISTER:
Prime Minister, Lucy and I were delighted to welcome you and Sara to Australia. Not your first visit, your second, but your first as Prime Minister of Israel and the first visit by a Prime Minister of Israel in office. We are delighted to have you here.
We have a lot to discuss. Our two nations have so much shared history. From the charge of the Light Brigade of Beersheba, 100 years ago –
PRIME MINISTER OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL:
On the dot.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah, on the dot, almost on the dot. To the foundation in 1947, Australia’s support, leading support for the Partition Resolution.
So it is a long history and we are working together on so many areas. We have so much to discuss. Security, naturally, but also the way in which your nation leads by example with innovation.
Israel’s ability to create a 21st century economy of technology and innovation is the envy of the world. We have a lot to discuss. We share your passion for innovation. We talked about it back in 2004, remember?
PRIME MINISTER OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL:
Absolutely.
PRIME MINISTER:
When neither of us were Prime Minister. So it is good to be back together.
PRIME MINISTER OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL:
Well, it turned out to have been a productive conversation.
[Laughter]
PRIME MINISTER:
It was! Clearly we laid the groundwork for great things to come.
So welcome.
PRIME MINISTER OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL:
Thank you. Prime Minister, thank you for this truly extraordinary reception. I have to say that we feel we are in the friendliest country possible. I think this visit, this historic visit, first time that an Israeli Prime Minister officially comes to Australia, marks 100 years of friendship.
You’ve been there at every key junction of our history. In 1917, the liberation of the land from the Ottoman rule, and the incredibly gallant and valiant charge, the last successful cavalry charge in history.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, the Light Horse.
PRIME MINISTER OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL
I want you, when you visit Beersheba this year, you’ll see what happened to this quaint desert hamlet that has now become a metropolis, and the cyber capital of Israel and soon I think there will be [inaudible].
Couldn’t have done it without Australia’s contribution. The same, of course, was the tremendous courage of the Australian troops in World War Two preventing the invasion of the eastern part of the Middle East by Romell’s forces. We wouldn’t be here without that as well.
Your very bold leadership in the Partition Resolution that recognized the establishment of the Jewish State and the subsequent conflicts, including in the Gulf War when we were receiving information from Australian satellites against incoming missiles. That saved a lot of Israeli lives.
So we’ve had a tremendous partnership. But we’re looking not merely at the past, we’re looking at the future. Seizing the future with innovation and [inaudible] Israel we’d like to be here. I hope that this visit enables us to bring our friendship to much higher levels in trade and technology, in security, in intelligence, in cyber-defence, in agriculture. All the areas that I look forward to discussing with you.
Most especially I want to say this year, in Jerusalem and Beersheba, we await you with open arms. You’ll be received with equal friendship by the Government of Israel and by the people of Israel.
Thank you.
[ENDS]