The Palestinian territories’ top envoy to Australia has urged Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten to press Benjamin Netanyahu on West Bank settlements when they meet the Israeli Prime Minister this week.
Mr Netanyahu will be the first sitting leader of Israel to visit Australia when he arrives tomorrow.
Several countries have criticised Israel for passing a law which retrospectively legalised about 4,000 settler homes built on Palestinian land.
Australia declined to comment on that law, and criticised a United Nations Security Council resolution, which condemned Israeli settlements on land the Palestinians want for a future state.
But Foreign Minister Julie Bishop also said Australia was “concerned” about recent settlements announced by Israel.
There is currently a bi-partisan policy by both Labor and the Coalition to support the two-state solution.
Head of the Palestinian delegation to Australia Izzat Abdulhadi said Mr Turnbull and Mr Shorten should tell Mr Netanyahu Israeli settlements undermined any prospect of peace in the region.
“I hope that he will send a very strong message to Netanyahu to save the two-state solution to stop totally, immediately, the settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem,” Dr Abdulhadi said.
Pro-Israel lobby groups point out the country has endured a steady stream of rockets fired from Gaza, and repeated terror attacks from Palestinians — including last month when a Palestinian driver ploughed into Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem, killing four.
They argue the recognition of the Palestinian territories would only make it harder for Israel and the Palestinian authorities to reach a lasting peace.
But Dr Abdulhadi said the prospect of Palestinian recognition by the international community would force Israel to hammer out a new agreement on fair terms.
Read the full article by Stephen Dziedzic at ABC.