FO0R P RBES S 20 I'Lk. RC11 1977
P TN' 7T 7 S õ DDIRBSS AT THE OPENING OF THE SEPHAPDf SYNAC; x1_ i%
I~ D ccNT: A-LNJ LVERN Y VI C.
It s vr'~~ Ita honour-i and p leasure to be here todlay to o oan
f irst: 5' eynmr SagYogue and Corrtr-unal Centre in Victoria. I 11-11V2
searchr: d for conLr w-ords to describe the simnifiWa of th-is
centre, but 1 have been able to find nonre better than those. jLL. d
by Gad Ben-' eir--in hi.* Ls lettCer inviting me to be here:
" The significance of the achievement lies not in the siL-; e
or splenldolr Of the centre. It is in fact small and -7o1' ez;':,
but in its being an expression of the opportu-nity cur .: e
country off-:_ ers itU* s citizens to maintain thei-Jr age-ol K!
traditions and their religious and cultural i. ndiv:,* 6u: j1.4v.
Australia has afforded this opportunity to people from every coutntry
in the world. In our age, when religious, racial and cul-tural
repression still exists, this opp~ ortunity is by no meants au
unimportant_ on.) e. But it has bean the dedication of th?. Au3st': a1l-:. r
Jewish co=-riunity, and ofc other ethnic commnunitie~ s arouiud A-' a
to m-LaintCainiL'ng their heritage which has enabled the-opport. 4 Z:
be taken uo, ;! ihhas enabled Australia to develop inraig. yas
a multi-cul-tural society. In this process the Jenish commuai has
played a major role. It has been one of the picrcErs DEcmrr4 l
self-help, creaising an importa.-t nietwork of cormimnit œ nsLto
incldi> -co3, synagogues, newspapers, wela oraI. Si s
and sports organr1sations. Thl-ese i1ci'; ti_-tutions h-ve-beea
imrt * ce, both-to the richness aind dive rsi~ ty of our iK:~
and o h we'lL being o. L the individuals in it.
I believe that we are now r., itmes S 4-ngC an unparalied dvI: a. i
corM. mity grc._ T) s. This is particularly true of ethnic
which are co= 4it-te~ d to preservinc their ci. iltural i, tI.
religious h-erl ta-e, hiepart icipoating. in Austral-ian Zociez ' v.
The e_. nhancemenE of Australian pluramlism is a deeL~ vetof z"
imp:: rtance w c my Goovcrnment is deteraied to foste-. r and ~~ ua:
It ' las added'-a ne di~ n-ision o-f dvr t and" riLC1haes:!;-t-o t
traditions of thl-ose other ethnic groups the niih So:.
Wha: t-is emerging2' iadist-inctive Autralianm cultu-r-,, dl r e fr o
the bes! t all c-_; iturcs can offer. Fortunmatel" y, the day: 1 of j
Saxon confor-i--y are over and I1 believe We atrPe all1 bet': er: C r-na.:
a nar-ion and -S-in divi duals because this. Far thos
thne di-.:-si'tv of cthnic and rcii
and which often is essential o c:
\ icter s2ocieOt LV
a S b eatn beina sol.: nd basis for unity doos not-a2pp-ar
, iPt: it needs to be sai d that Austra'n
butstrengtend by divers t One can 1~
œ Lly in Australian life, whilc preserv\ n=
to z inTtLh-oe anitertds coimm. unit-in CFyiecCte~: cnrulfts, th>: e
o, ~ cultural aiud, national bae rounds. You-: or-L
1ar exar.-cole of this, is this ver-s~ na og
arU n, ~ symbolises your co-mmri--..-n to maaintainic:-; rna
C-1 tL ea: trditional culture ofth S.
at2: cnn ha. s; baeer. no barrier to your fu-l ad
-L~ n b-reo ader W1 coIBM. unity, or in Akustra-: li-: t sSjcOC.,
nia ch'fo,,.: Len of Aus:. ralia Jaws to Israel in any way ILjmLtcL
r~ rr.~ ten: to Austra-li.
; Auscralian tGovernment's support for Israel is clear, and our sta-Q
i~ enclorsed by the vastL majority, of the Australian people. My oen: n
stressed its contin1uing co-mmitment to Israel's right to e xisc c
trexercise full internMational rights. We have consist. entl,' op1 sa
to e lu -From United Nations a; ctivities and tlhe
i sque attc-ipt: to ILink Zionism writh racism. I ixuagi-ne I am inii
Sno when 1 tell -you that the Israeli Covernrment nu; xrfL
-u-raa: ciaftoi: o. lAn ustralia' s un'. i rstandim!, and s-up pur,_ a.:
intrn_--i onl : cui last year', uTited1 -i~ o:
C.. eral tAssembl1-' y. It is zau; oldi and fixu~ friends of Israel ha: exp=-: c
our,,, attitudes on the Middle Easc dispute.
T1si in 7-ne last year in my Parliamentary statitnni on the world
thntha , o3 ly future in the 11Middle East* Ia.-in ngc... zu
.)-Zand ::-oad ._: cogu%: tion of the righ0ts of all ; oups wita th'
r I be. Liaved . en, andI I believe now, that there Can be no u1
, V7 Tcr That cce:--proriiise thr .: hnegotiation is essential if the-_ c i: s to0
rea : e. eMlt. A : Lia has long endiorsed thle agreed
in" UN Security (.?. clResolutions 242 and 333.
pro or unecui, vocal reco., n.:. Ion of Israzel, as x.. all as the ne2; E 0
Iv t I o -w bhdr,: W fr 0 o cc t e rr ito r ies. In nt month ar
m: o wt.~.. s. rc ~: we negrotiations. Aust-c: il i-a
S.:: moves \ LLb :. se ' t erinio. Australia%; cux' 2
t any settl2 men-in the M:-iddle East should provide the conditi-,' in
Wniu aIdsr eil. neihbous -clniv e in peaca and mut~ ual res;-~*
We no syrnopath; withn those on the Arab side whfio -would wish to
contiu to rej cc-Israel ' s rig1h* L_ to e:-ist.
Th~ t e present state--l objectives of the P. L. O. as set out in the~
Pal tnaNa'. onal Charter or Covenant, totally unacceptable th
Aus:.., o. ian Thcare have baen some questions in recent_ rmontas;
arc,-r-th~ e aKis: o of texrssto Australia. The position of-ith lis
Gc~ ie t citn cat-ceorical. No terrorist will b? aciimittecl
to Australia. Th 1_
.2 s ofE Aralb Govrernmns par-icular1y
neotiaLe a " 4r! ddIe Betsete: iaent is ecuracni
-zedthaLt' te-ro have beei soe signs of a move
' f no-all the -' actions, aw.. ay frri! its riore
V4r, e . j would-hope that this move will develo-. Lo
: h oim 1 q off icial policy of dctnying Isrcae& 1'
i. 7. n Wndoned.
it is ~ x n: a oyf the Australian Gover= net and pacprle, th) at
t_ wilb: sz : or our frier. Jship with both sides in ' Middle
East t-c n: lo i-ncreasin-harm,, ony.
L a d. : wI. it is with great pleasure that: I now open