Australia distances from Peace Conference remarks

January 16, 2017 by J-Wire Staff
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Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has said that Australia did not agreed with “every element of the final statement” at the Paris conference on the Middle East Process.

Julie Bishop

Julie Bishop said: “Nations present at the Paris conference on the Middle East Peace Process were represented by ministers or officials. Australia was represented at the conference by diplomatic officials from the Australian Embassy in Paris.

While the Australian Government was represented at the Paris conference this does not mean we agree with every element of the final statement.

The Coalition Government has consistently not supported one-sided resolutions targeting Israel. The most important priority must be a resumption of direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians for a two-state solution as soon as possible.”

The Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of Australia and New Zealand stated: “Further to its condemnation of UN Resolution 2334 which was appropriately described by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as “one sided” and “deeply unsettling”, welcomes the Australian Government’s distancing itself today from the concluding remarks of more than 70 countries at the Paris peace conference, which “welcomed” the said UN Resolution.

The RCANZ Executive Committee recognizes that Australia led the international community in speaking out publicly against the controversial security council resolution in December last year, and is deeply appreciative of Australia’s support of Israel and of the Jewish community. We commend Foreign Minister Julie Bishop’s exemplary leadership and applaud the principled stance our Government has made in repudiating a biased and one-sided resolution. We encourage other nations to follow Australia’s lead.

We hope and pray that Israel shall be at peace and welcome our Government’s ongoing support of Israel as it continues to work towards this goal.”

Comments

13 Responses to “Australia distances from Peace Conference remarks”
  1. Leon Poddebsky says:

    Wouldn’t it make more sense to assert that “The most important priority” must be for
    “Palestinian” society to be reformed to a stage where it accepts that the Jewish People’s right to national sovereignty in The Land of Israel is inalienable and legitimate?

    If this does not happen, what hope is there for peace?

  2. Jan Poddebsky says:

    I don’t think that ‘Palestinians’ want a two-state solution. I think they plan one-state, a ‘Palestinian’ state. When Abbas claimed Jerusalem as the capital of the ‘Palestinian’ state recognised by the Vatican, he did not claim part of Jerusalem. He claimed it all.

  3. Cody Flecker says:

    There already exists a State for the Palestinians. It’s name is Jordan. Why break up tiny Israel when we have such a large unoccupied land mass called Jordan?

    • Adrian Jackson says:

      Don’t try and rewrite history. Jordan was set up by the UN at about the same time as Palestine was partitioned into to two states however the states were a patchwork of Hebrew (Jewish) and Palestinian (Christian & Muslim) localities and nearby unworkable as cohesive states.

      • Adrian Jackson says:

        Currently Jordan has over 1 million Syrian refugee too as have Lebanon and Turkey as well as Europe.

  4. Eleonora Mostert says:

    Again David, what can we say. Julia Biship is just another snake in the grass who speaks with a forked tongue. What’s wrong with the RCANZ, commending her… for what?

    • Adrian Jackson says:

      Does Palestine or Israel have snakes or are they like Ireland with no snakes.

  5. Adrian Jackson says:

    The Paris conference was a democratic vote, something some people have trouble with.

    I note that the Roman Catholic Pope (not to be confused with the Coptic Christian Pope in Egypt) has recently recognized Palestine and last week a Palestine Embassy was opened it the Vatican principality.

    Many older type Christians ( not Protestants) have lived in West Asia (the so called Middle East) and North Africa for 2000 years and a significant percentage make up part of the population of Israel (2%), Palestinian (2%), Lebanese (30%), Syrian (10%), Jordan (4%), Iraqi (5%), Egypt (11%) and Turkish (1%).

    These figure include refugees that have moved to other countries temporarily or permanently in the last 5 or so years.

    • david singer says:

      Adrian

      Heard of the Yazidis?

      “Islamic State is committing genocide against the Yazidis in Syria and Iraq to destroy the religious community of 400,000 people through killings, sexual slavery and other crimes, United Nations investigators said on Thursday.

      Such a designation, rare under international law, would mark the first recognized genocide carried out by non-state actors, rather than a state or paramilitaries acting on its behalf.

      The U.N. report, based on interviews with dozens of survivors, said the Islamist militants had been systematically rounding up Yazidis in Iraq and Syria since August 2014, seeking to “erase their identity” in a campaign that met the definition of the crime as defined under the 1948 Genocide Convention.

      “The genocide of the Yazidis is ongoing,” it said.

      The 40-page report, entitled “They Came to Destroy: ISIS Crimes against the Yazidis”, sets out a legal analysis of Islamic State’s intent to wipe out the Kurdish-speaking group, whom the Sunni Muslim Arab militants view as infidels.

      The Yazidis are a religious sect whose beliefs combine elements of several ancient Middle Eastern religions.

      “The finding of genocide must trigger much more assertive action at the political level, including at the (U.N.) Security Council,” Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the commission of inquiry, told a news briefing.

      “Almost two years since the attack on Mount Sinjar, nothing has been done to save those people,” he said, referring to the heart of the Yazidi region in northern Iraq stormed by Islamic State in August 2014.”
      http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-yazidi-idUSKCN0Z20WR

      Such is life under Islamic occupation…

      And 70 States meet in Paris to discuss the creation of a 22nd Arab State . ..

      Go figure.

      • Adrian Jackson says:

        Yes I have heard about the Yazidis, Zoroastrians and Kurds but what has that got to do with Palestine and Israel other than they being nearby in Iraq etc.

        David – funny, when I spell checked Yazidis I got Yiddish.

        • david singer says:

          With respect – you moved the discussion away from “Palestine” and Israel with this comment:

          “Many older type Christians ( not Protestants) have lived in West Asia (the so called Middle East) and North Africa for 2000 years and a significant percentage make up part of the population of Israel (2%), Palestinian (2%), Lebanese (30%), Syrian (10%), Jordan (4%), Iraqi (5%), Egypt (11%) and Turkish (1%).”

          You seemed to be painting a bland and idyllic life for Christians living in the region.

          I sought to address your position and show that life is not too good for many people who not Muslim.

          By the way life is not too good for many who are Muslim.

          Do you agree?

    • Leon Poddebsky says:

      The Vatican also recognised Nazi Germany.
      The German people had brought the Nazis to power by democratic means.
      Mr President Abbas, who was elected for a four year term in his autonomous territory, is now enjoying his twelfth year in power.
      Hamas was elected in free elections in order to execute its Charter objective of committing genocide against the Jewish People.
      Many people with ulterior motives attach words like “democracy”, “freedom”, “human rights, “justice,” “legal,” etc” to their propaganda pronouncements.
      They fool only the fools and the knaves.

  6. david singer says:

    There seems to be a disconnect here Ms Bishop.

    Full text of Middle East Peace Conference Joint Declaration does not indicate Australia had any reservations to anything expressed in the Declaration.

    Some clarification would be appreciated.

    I note Ms Bishop also states:
    “The most important priority must be a resumption of direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians for a two-state solution as soon as possible.”

    Any two state solution Ms Bishop or the “two democratic states solution” laid down in the Bush Roadmap, the Quartet recommendations dated 1 July 2016 and UNSCR 2344?

    There is a big difference that I am sure you appreciate.

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