CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
OPENING OF THE ACT OFFICE OF THE
ZIONIST FEDERATION OF-AUSTRALIA
CANBERRA 21 NOVEMBER 1989
It is a great pleasure to be with you this evening to open
the Zionist Federation of Australia's Canberra office.
My Government and the Federation have always had an
excellent working relationship, and although I would hate to
think that at any time geographical distance might have
constituted a barrier to communication, there is no doubt
that the physical proximity to government that your new
office gives you will make it easier for both of us to keep
in contact on issues in which we have a mutual interest.
Looking back over the years, the Federation can point to a
number of impressive achievements, examples of the
constructive things that can be accomplished when Government
works closely with community groups such as your own. I pay
particular tribute here to the energy and dedication of your
President, Mark Leibler.
In 1986, for example, the Federation drew to the
Government's attention the difficulties faced by a number of
Australians living in Israel who had acquired Israeli
citizenship, not knowing that they would lose their
Australian citizenship in the process. As a result, the
then Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic
Affairs, working closely with the Federation, was able to
find a way to solve the problem satisfactorily.
The positive achievements of the Federation are also
reflected in our social security system. German restitution
payments to victims of the Nazi period are now exempt for
social security purposes a gesture of respect to those
whose suffering we can never adequately compensate, but
whose experiences we must never forget.
The Federation can also take credit for its active role in
encouraging the Australian Parliament to pass its resolution
calling for the rescission of UN Resolution 3379 equating
Zionism with racism. Australia was among the first to pass
such a resolution. It is heartening to see countries such
as the United States and the United Kingdom, and the
European Parliament, now following suit. Indeed the United
States Congress passed a resolution based on the Australian
one, a year to the day after it was passed in Canberra.
Australia has begun a dialogue with officials of the Soviet
Union with a view to achieving a different attitude to this
issue by that country.
As Senator Evans made clear in his statement this year to
the United Nations General Assembly, Australia has
consistently taken the position that countries should avoid
using the United Nations to heighten differences or hinder
the peaceful resolution of conflict with provocative
resolutions such as this one. We must all hope that the
changes at work in the world will soon lead to the
rescission of this infamous resolution.
The Zionist Federation can be proud of its achievements over
the years in speaking out on behalf of Jews both in
Australia and abroad. You are no doubt as heartened
indeed excited as I am by the pace of change in the Soviet
Union and other Eastern bloc countries since Gorbachev's
accession to power. The dramatic events in East Germany
illustrate the rapid change now transforming that part of
the world. It is change of a speed we could not have
imagined as little as a year ago. But it is change that was
inevitable, as declining Marxist-Leninist states began to
understand the cost of the historical neglect of the
fundamental link that exists between economic prosperity and
political freedom.
The reforms now underway have had a particularly welcome
effect on the outflow of people from the Soviet Union and
other Eastern bloc countries. The Federation can feel proud
of its record of pressure on the Soviet Union over
refuseniks. Your efforts, letters, lobbying and meetings
have now begun to bear fruit. More than 37,000 Soviet Jews
have departed the Soviet Union so far this year. Last year
the total was of the order of 19,000; in 1987, 8,000.
But we cannot rest yet. There are still cases which will
require determination and energy to resolve. And your work
with refuseniks will still be needed so long as there are
such cases.
The reforms taking place in the Soviet Union also offer an
opportunity, after so many painful years of uncertainty, for
a full investigation of the disappearance of the Swedish
diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg who disappeared into Soviet
hands in January 1945, after having worked through the war
years saving the lives of tens of thousands of potential
victims of Nazi terror in Hungary. One of the most moving
moments on my visit to Budapest in July this year was laying
a wreath on the recently unveiled, and very striking,
monument to Raoul Wallenberg.
I am pleased to announce that in the current parliamentary
session I will move a resolution which urges all parties to
co-operate in a comprehensive and conclusive examination of
the circumstances surrounding Raoul Wallenberg's detention
and disappearance. After consultation with the Opposition
Leader, Andrew Peacock, I am confident that the resolution
will receive bipartisan support.
Australia remains deeply concerned about the unresolved
problems in the Middle East. Let me state categorically we
are committed to the integrity of Israel and its right to
exist within secure and recognised boundaries. This goal we
share. It must be part of any equation for a stable peace.
The other side of the equation, as I have said many times
before, involves the recognition of the rights of the
Palestinian people.
The ultimate resolution to the problems of the Middle East
will only be found through a process of negotiation. I hope
that the efforts of Shamir, Mubarak and Bush will bring all
parties closer to the negotiating table and a lasting peace
for the region.
I talked to Secretary of State James Baker during his recent
visit to Australia and was impressed by his commitment to
facilitating negotiations between Israel and the
Palestinians. Such negotiations could lay the groundwork
for elections in the Occupied Territories and, in the longer
run, a lasting peace.
We are living at a time of rapid change. Global tensions
have eased and changes, both inside and outside Israel, are
creating an impetus for compromise and negotiation. Israel
has demonstrated great valour and determination in war. In
the interests of a lasting an ' d stable agreement, I fervently
hope that Israel will demonstrate the courage we know and
admire in the interests of peace.
The Zionist Federation can be proud of its role in improving
relations between Israel and Australia and in promoting
informed discussion of the issues. Its conferences and
functions have provided a vital forum for debate on those
issues of concern to the Australian Jewish community.
4.
The opening of this Canberra office will give the
organisation a more tangible presence in the nation's
capital, no doubt enhancing its capacity to continue keep up
its good work.
I hereby take great pleasure in declaring the Canberra
office of the Zionist Federation of Australia open.