As the year winds down, the Coalition and the ALP have ramped up discussion on Israel and the Palestinians.
Each assert they have the same goal – a two-state solution where both Israelis and Palestinians live in safety and security.
There is also an acknowledgement that the status quo cannot continue.
In a two-day period earlier this month, 460 rockets were fired indiscriminately into Israel from Gaza. Israel retaliated against military targets in the beleaguered Gaza Strip. Hamas claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack on the West Bank this month in which a young woman, who was 30 weeks’ pregnant, was shot in the stomach, killing the baby.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority continues to name children’s sports events after those who have killed Israeli civilians. Since 2014, the PA has refused all peace talks, and there have been no serious talks between it and Israel since 2008.
Despite agreement on the need for action, the paths being pursued by the two major political parties are quite different.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison simply acknowledged reality in announcing that Australia would officially recognise that West Jerusalem, where Israel’s government is located and which has been Israel’s capital since 1949, is in fact the site of Israel’s capital.
The Prime Minister also said Australia “resolved to acknowledge the aspirations of the Palestinian people for a future state with its capital in East Jerusalem.”
Read the article by Naomi Levin in The Sydney Morning Herald.