,.,, AUSTRALI k
PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA MONDAY 2 JUNE 1980
SPEECH AT THE RECEPTION AT T" HE CENTRAL SYN4AGOGUE
occasions such as this are always enjoyable because they bring
together friends and families with common interests and a
deep sense of community involvement..
Functions such as this say much about your community and its
values and provide a significant lead for what we try to
achieve from community organisation.
only recently, I had the privilege of opening the Yeshiva
College at Bondi.
An occasion which brought to my mind the contribution made by
the Jewish community to Australia.
At a time when there is a serious reappraisal of community,
national and international values, the example of the Jewish
community reminds us and we sometimes need reminding that
the family is an irreplacqable source of affection, guidance,
security and direction for' young people.
At a time when we could be excused for thinking that, in many
parts of the world, humanity is being stood on its head, I
commend what is being done through this Synagogue as an instance
of the values of humanity and learning that each of us must
pursue in building a better community.
This Synagogue, established 65 years ago, is the soul and
symbol of your community, reinforcing the values we must seek
to enshrine in the national way of life in the decade ahead
persistence in the face of difficulty; dedication to selfimprovement,
and to personal and professional success; and,
the achievement of all this, with a respectful sense of history
and heritage.
This has been the text for the Jewish community down through
the years.
Well may it be the text for our nation in the
The traditions which inform the Jewish community have been
forged through thousands of years and countless struggles for
independence in the pursuit of values and beliefs.
These struggles regrettably continue today.
Jewish people are still discriminated against in the Soviet
Union, and their rights as a people are suppressed.
This only serves to highlight the increasing importance of
Israel as a homeland; a dream achieved; a hope fulfilled.
It also emphasises the importance of countries like Australia
where there is an acceptance and a welcome for all people
especially those of Jewish faith who have done so much for
Australia. The contribution by the Jewish community, across a broad spectrum
of life mnusic, the arts, literature, industry and public lifeis
widely acknowledged.
Many have left their marks in Australia's history of
community service.
The contribution made by your efforts is important; as is your
company amongst us as proud Australians.
Your role emphasises the acceptance and encouragement of
diversity in the Australian way of life.
This is not a country wherewe expect everyone to be the same.
We believe we are a better, more tolerant and more mature nation
because our people have come from many lands and from many
different backgrounds.
And the Jewish community plays a proud part in the successes
that come from our diversity.
For us all, the decade has opened in an atmosphere of international
concern, of which the Middle East and South West Asia are the
focal points.
The difficulties involving and surrounding the strength and
survival1' oE' the.-State of Israel; the Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan; the'illegal detention of American hostages in Iran;
the threat that all this poses to oil supplies for industrialised
countri4Aes; all these cast shadows of turmoil and unpredictability.
The minds of world leaders are centred upon these problems.
Our hope is that they will secure practical and peaceful solutions
to these grave and threatening crises.
Against this background, the links between our nations have
stood the test of time.
In 1948, Australia was one of the strong supporters of the
creation~ of the State of Israel.
And we remain absolutely committed to its continuation within
secure and recognised borders.
You are all aware that the Government has taken a most serious
view of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
I have indicated in Parliament, and on other occasions, our
difficulty in understanding how a country engaged in the invasion
of another country and the suppression of its people can be
regarded as a ' Lit host to the Olympic Games.
Still, Soviet troops remain in Afghanistan in great numbers;
brutalities continue.
Mliddle-ranking country that we are, it would be a betrayal of
our international responsibilities and an abdication of' our
commitment to the international family, if we were to stand idly
by and not make our position clear.
many people, in calling for a boycott of the Games, have mentioned
as a prime reason, quite apart from the Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan, the treatment of dissidents in the USSR.
What is just as intolerable as the invasion, is the fact that
dissidents and others in the USSR who might seek to use the
Games and the presence of tourists, athletes and the world's
press as an opportunity to voice their protests, have already
been dispersed to other parts of the Soviet Union.
They will not be heard.
They will not be allowed to em~ barrass the Soviet authorities.
I am particularly pleased to learn of your support for the
Government's stand on this question.
It is important that we do not allow our relative remoteness
over 35 years from major international disturbances to breed
complacency in our attitudes.
There are those, no doubt who would argue that Afghanistan is
a long way away; that grave and all as the problem is, it has
limited relevance for us.
Such a view suggests that while the freedom of others can be
chall-enged, we can enjoy, for all time, an immunity -Ero. m.
challenge. Thiis is to suggecst that a free society can survive without effort,
'-., ithout will, without commitment.
TLhis view must be given no currency.
is 1aa, v iws i wb t'rlenbythose wiihts o litt1lL eounderstanding o
the incomparable benefits and virtues of democracy that they
are able to allow them to be chipped away.
People with so little understanding of the future that the
present does not matter that much. .4
Peocle who are luke-warm and uncommitted to idealism and
Liberalism; uncritical of socialism or communism.
Peo; ple who ask apologetically what's in a name.
Peo Dle with so little to believe in that they have nothing
to defend.
. cnan appreciation of the virtues of a way of life is lost,
ther-e is no will for its defence.
Is J-t not time to understand that what we devalue today, we
may lose tomorrow.
Is it not time to ask whether or not we have underrated the
precious gift of continuing peace; whether or not we have been
spoilt by economic growth; whether or not we have been in
receipt of so much of the world's goodness that vie have become
blind to the world's threats.
Discrimination, repression and exile are not only an affront
to those who suffer at their hands; but also, they affront the
values and principles which we seek to enshrine.
On the other hand, world tensions serve to remind us of the
importance of countries such as Australia where people from
other lands are welcome; where members of your community have
found a home and made a lasting and productive contribution.
I w. elcome your continuing role in providing for the welfare
needs of your community; and through the preservation of the
traditional, social, religious and cultural values of Judaism,
enriching the wider community to which we all belong.
I comziend you for the work done in the " outreach" programmes
to assist Jewish people in distress.
Your work in the Jewish welfare society; for the care of the
aged at the Montefiore Homes; provision for those who are ill
or in need of medical care through the Wolper Jewish Hospital,
are all evidence of how the Jewish community cares for those
in need.
I know that Rabbi Alony is a pivotal inspiration behind all
these programmes; always on hand to counsel; offering dynamism,
enthusiasm and support to a dedicated band of part-time staff.
E spec ial ly do I commend the aims, objectives and the achievements
of the Hineni Youth Movement.
The complex and changed world in which we live does not always
malke easy the transition of young people through the difficult
Deriod of adolescence.
Hineni acts as a social group for Jewish youth and a focus for
the assiimilation by young people of the Jewish culture.
0 , r
It is something of a truism to suggest that our youth is the
foundation of our future.
But by your community providing for the needs and security of
the young, it is ensuring that that foundation is . sell laid.
In moving amongst you all, one has a feeling of being part of
a dynamic community with a genuine commitment to, and concern
for the Jewish traditions and Australia's future.
Long may that State of being continue.
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