Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being encouraged to give greater recognition to Australia for its support of Israel following the passage of a UN resolution condemning its settlement policies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The January 1 editorial of The Jerusalem Post has urged Mr Netanyahu to make good on a planned visit to Canberra — the first by an Israeli prime minister — saying it would be an “important step in the right direction”.
“Australia has emerged as one of Israel’s few true friends, largely thanks to the leadership of (Malcolm) Turnbull and (Julie) Bishop. We should not take this friendship for granted,” it said. “It is important that our leaders work to foster ties between the two countries.”
The pro-Australia editorial came as former prime minister Tony Abbott used an article in The Spectator Australia to call for Canberra to cut its $40 million-a-year aid program to the Palestinian Authority for paying pensions to “terrorists and their families”.
Mr Abbott, who recently returned from a visit to Israel, also said Australia should consider following suit if the Trump administration shifted its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem — an idea swiftly rejected by Ms Bishop yesterday. “The Australian government does not have any plans to move the Australian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” the Foreign Minister said.
Read the full article by Joe Kelly at The Australian.