EMBARG~ OED MIDNICIIT ? AEST 27 JTANUARY 1987
1* SPEE0h BY THlE PRIME MINISTER
AT DINNER GIVEN BY THlE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL
MR YITZHAK SHAMIR
JERUSALEM, 27 JANUARY 1987
MR PRIME MINISTER, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS
TODAY 9IS AN HISTORIC OCCASION FOR AUSTRALIA AND5 ItRAtL ' AND
A VERY IMPORTANT-ONE FOR.. ME.
DURING 14Y EARLIER VISITS TO ISRAEL, I FORMED NOT ONLY CLOSE
FRIENDSHIPS BUT ALSO A DEEP APPRECIATION OF THE GREAT
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE ISRAELI PEOPLE.
IWAS THEREFORE ESPECIALLY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT THE
RENEWED INVITATION CONVEYED BY PRESIDENT HIERZOG DURING HIS
SUCCESSFUL VISIT To AUSTRALIA LAST NOVEMBER.
MlY VISIT TO ISRAEL IS THE FIRST BY AN AUSTRALIAN PRIME
MINISTER. LIKE THAT OF PRESIDENT HERZOG To AUSTRALIA IT
SYMBOLISES THE CLOSE AND WARM LINKS BETWEEN OUR PEOPLES.
MR PRIME MINISTER
AUSTRALIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FRIEND OF ISRAEL.
7 2.
THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE AND, I MIGHT ADD, THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR
PARTY, HAD A SPECIAL AFFINITY WITH ISRAEL FROM THE TIME OF YOUR
ESTABLISHMENT, IN WHICH OUR THEN FOREIGN MINISTER, DR EVATT, a
PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE.
-As-TOLD -PRES-I-DENT-HERZOG-JCANBERRA,-WE-ARE PROUDQFi. E
FACT THAT THE FIRST " YES" VOTE FOR ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO EXIST
WAS CAST BY AUSTRALIA AT THE DIRECTION OF THE CHIFLEY
GOVERNMENT. THAT GOVERNMENT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO-EXTEND
RECOGNITION TO THE NEW STATE OF ISRAEL.
SO DESPITE THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTANCES WHICH SEPARATE US,
AUSTRALIANS ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO YOUR WELFARE AND CLOSELY
ATTENTIVE TO DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
WE ARE CERTAINLY NOT A PARTY PRINCIPAL IN THE RESOLUTION OF
THE ISSUES WHICH SEPARATE ISRAEL AND IJS.. NEIGHBOURS. YET
WE ARE SENSITIVE TO THOSE ISSUES AND HAVE ENDORSED CLEARLY
DEFINED PRINCIPLES WHICH WE BELIEVE CONTAIN THE ELEMENTS
OF A PEACEFUL AND DURABLE RESOLUTION.
WE REMAIN FUNDAMENTALLY COMMITTED TO THE SECURITY OF ISRAEL
AND ITS RIGHT TO EXIST WITHIN SECURE AND RECOGNISED
BOUNDARIES IN ACCORDANCE-WITH-SECURITY COUNCIL-RESOLUTIONS
242 AND 338. . Q*
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT A RESOLUTION OF THE
PALESTINIAN QUESTION IS CENTRAL TO ANY MIDDLE EAST
SETTLEMENT. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION FOR
THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE RIGHT, IF THEY SO CHOOSE,
TO INDEPENDENCE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING THEIR OWN
INDEPENDENT STATE.
THAT POSSIBILITY WAS OPEN BEFORE 1967, BUT-AT THAT-TIME THERE
WAS NO ACCEPTANCE OF THE CONCEPT OF A PALESTINIAN STATE WHICH
DID NOT INVOLVE THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ISRAEL. THE WORLD
KNOWS THAT ISRAEL IS NOT GOING TO DISAPPEAR.
YOUR NEIGHBOURS WHO ARE PART OF MY ITINERARY, ACCEPT AND WORK
WITHIN THE-FRAMEWORK OF THAT FACT. -EQUALLY, I BELIEVE, ON
THE BASIS OF THE SAME FACT, ISRAEL MUST BE CONSTRUCTIVELY INVOLVED
IN THE PROCESSES OF RESOLVING THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE PALESTINIAN
PEOPLE.
WE RECOGNISE THAT WHATEVER ARRANGEMENTS ARE FINALLY SETTLED
WILL DEPEND ON DECISIONS INVOLVING THE PARTICIPATION AND
AGREEMENT OF ALL PARTIES FONCERNEDI
ONLY A FOOL COULD PRETEND THAT EASY SOLUTIONS EXIST. BUT THAT
IS A REASON NOT FOR GIVING UP BUT FOR STRIVING HARDER.
THE GOVERNMENT OF WHICH YOU WERE AN IMPORTANT MEMBER TOOK A
MAJOR STEP IN THAT DIRECTION WHEN IN 1978 IT CONCLUDED THE CAMP
DAVID ACCORDS AND IN 1979 SIGNED A PEACE TREATY WITH ITS
SOUTHERN NEIGHBOUR, EGYPT. WE APPLAUD THE COURAGE AND FORESIGHT
INVOLVED IN THAT DECISION.
WE WELCOME TOO, THE RECENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND EGYPT
ON THE TERMS OF ARBITRATION FOR TABA. WE HOPE THAT THE
RESOLUTION OF THIS LONG-STANDING DISPUTE WILL OPEN THE WAY
FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENT IN RELATIONS BETWEEN YOUR COUNTRIES.
-THE-MEETI NG-BETWEEN-MR-PERES-AND-PR SI--N T-MUDB--R-N
ALEXANDRIA LAST . SEPTEMBER__ G IVE. US -REASON-TO-. BE-OPTIMI-ST-I-C.
AT THAT MEETING THE ISRAELI AND EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENTS ALSO
DECLARED 1987 AS THE YEAR OF NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE. I LOOK
FORWARD TO DISCUSSING WITH PRESIDENT MUBARAK NEXT WEEK HIS OWN
PERCEPTIONS AS TO HOW THE PROCESS MIGHT BE DEVELOPED.
As YOU KNOW, I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THESE MATTERS
WITH KING HUSSEIN. AND OUR OWN DISCUSSIONS THIS AFTERNOON HAVE
HELPED ME TO A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISRAELI POSITION
ON THESE VITALLY IMPORTANT ISSUES.
LOOKING AT THE MIDDLE EAST REGION AS A WHOLE, THE QUESTION OF
THE PALESTINIANS IS NOT THE ONLY UNRESOLVED ISSUE WE CONFRONT.
THE SITUATION IN LEBANON CONTINUES TO BE. A MATTER OF DEEP-CONCERN
TO US ALL. WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS FAR MORE THAN A REGIONAL
POLITICAL PROBLEM, IT IS A HUMAN TRAGEDY.
WE WISH FOR A CESSATION OF THE DISTRUST AND VIOLENCE WHICH HAS
WROUGHT SO MUCH HAVOC AND DISRUPTED THE LIVES OF SO MANY PEOPLE.
IN SAYING THAT, I SPEAK NOT JUST FOR AUSTRALIANS OF LEBANESE
ORIGIN BUT FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS.
IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF LEBANON WILL BE ABLE
TO RECONCILE DIFFERENCES AMONG THE MANY COMMUNITIES WHICH
MAKE UP THE COMPLEX FABRIC OF LEBANON AND THAT IT WILL BE ABLE
AGAIN TO EXTEND ITS AUTHORITY OVER THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
THE OBJECTIVE SHOULD BE THE WITHDRAWAL OF ALL FOREIGN FORCES,
EXCEPT THOSE FOREIGN FORCES WHICH ARE IN LEBANON AT-THE-REQUESTOF
THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT-AND-WHOSE-PRESENCE_ ISNECESSARY TO
ALLOW THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONDITIONS WHICH CAN ALLOW SOCIAL,
ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL STABILITY TO BE RE-ESTABLISHED WITHIN
LEBANON AND THE AUTHORITY OF THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT TO BE
ASSERTED. MR PRIME MINISTER
I AM VERY PLEASED THAT MY COLLEAGUES THE PRESIDENT OF THE
SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAVE
INVITED THE SPEAKER OF THE KNESSET TO LEAD AN ISRAELI
PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION TO AUSTRALIA.
A NUMBER OF OUR MINISTERS HAVE VISITED ISRAEL AND-IENJOYED
HEARING FROM THEM AT FIRST-HAND OF DEVELOPMENTS WHICH HAVE
OCCURRED SINCE MY LAST VISIT.
" I
6.
I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT THE AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENT ON
23 OCTOBER LAST CALLED FOR THE OVER-TURNING OF THE
UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION EQUATING
ZIONISM WITH RACISM. I MIGHT ADD, WITH PRIDE, THAT IN
A PARLIAMENT OFTEN NOTED MORE FOR ITS CONFRONTATION THAN
CONSENSUS, THIS RESOLUTION WAS PASSED UNANIM-U LY.
MR PRIME MINISTER
14EXT YEAR BOTH OUR COUNTRIES WILL CELEBRATE IMPORTANT
ANNIVERSARIES IT WILL BE 40 YEARS SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND 200 YEARS SINCE THE START OF
EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT OF AUSTRALIA. DISCUSSIONS ARE WELL
ADVANCED ON WAYS IN WHICH THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND
AUSTRALIA CAN PARTICIPATE IN EACH OTHERS' CELEBRATIONS OF
THOSE IMPORTANT EVENTS.
FINALLY, SIR, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I FAILED TO MENTION
AUSTRALIA'S SUBSTANTIAL JEWISH COMMUNITY, AND ITS
INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO OUR MULTICULTURAL NATION IN
PRACTICALLY EVERY FIELD OF HUMAN ENDEAVOUR. THEY FORM A
BRIDGE OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND ISRAEL.
IT IS PERSONAL LINKS BETWEEN OUR PEOPLE WHICH WILL ACHIEVE
MORE THAN GOVERNMENTS CAN IN FIRMING THE BONDS BETWEEN US.
7.
I AM CONFIDENT WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THE FURTHER
DEVELOPMENT OF THESE LINKS: THROUGH GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED
ACTIVITIES CERTAINLY, BUT MORE ESPECIALLY THROUGH OUR
UNIVERSITIES, OUR CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, THROUGH SPORT,
COMMERCIAL LINKS AND TOURISM.
-I -IS MY HOPE THAT THE LINKS BETWEEN OUR PEOPLES AND THE-
-CO-OPERATION BETWEEN _ OUR_ COUNTRIES CAN CONTINUE TO OUR
MUTUAL ADVANTAGE.
IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF THAT THEY WILL.
MR PRIME MINISTER I
MAY I NOW PROPOSE A TOAST TO THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL AND
TO THE CONTINUING FRIENDSHIP OF THE PEOPLES OF ISRAEL AND
AUSTRALIA.
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