AUSTRALIA has switched its position to vote against Israel on two
resolutions at the United Nations, ending the Howard government's unswerving
alignment with the United States and raising concern from the Jewish
community.
The move also signals to the incoming Obama administration that the Rudd
Government plans to take a different approach to the Howard government on
the international stage.
In the weekend vote in New York, Australia supported a resolution calling on
Israel to stop establishing settlements in the Palestinian territories and a
resolution calling for the Geneva Conventions to apply in the Palestinian
territories.
The resolutions on the Middle East peace process are held annually and the
Howard government had backed both from 1996 to 2002 but in 2003 began to
vote against or abstain. It was a move that aligned Australia with only the
US, Israel, the US Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau and Micronesia and put the
country at odds with Britain, Canada, New Zealand and France.
Australian officials told the UN the Government had changed its position
because it supported a two-state resolution of the conflict to deliver a
secure Israel living beside a viable Palestinian state and that Australia
believed both sides should abide by their obligations under the Road Map for
Peace.
Australia said it was concerned activity in the disputed settlements
undermined confidence in the negotiations. It was among 161 countries that
supported both resolutions, with two abstaining and six against.
The president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Robert Goot,
last night was concerned over the Government's switch. "We are concerned
that the vote has changed, we do not understand the basis for the change,"
he said.
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Stephen Smith, last night said there had been
no change to Australia's policy on the Middle East. He said he had met the
Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, and the Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni,
in Jerusalem two weeks ago and told them Australia was a strong supporter of
Israel and the Middle East peace process.
"Australia's friendship with Israel is longstanding and enduring and we
understand completely Israel's legitimate security concerns," he said.
"As a staunch and longstanding friend of Israel, we want its people to be
able to enjoy the fruits of a normal, peaceful existence, within a Middle
East that recognizes Israel's right to live within secure and
internationally recognized boundaries. That is an approach that has strong
bipartisan support in Australia and it's an approach that will continue."
The Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman, Helen Coonan, called on Mr Smith
to explain why Australia changed its vote. "The change in emphasis is
concerning unless it can be better explained as giving effect to a
bipartisan and balanced approach," she said.
Australia maintained its vote on seven other UN resolutions relating to
Israel, in particular opposing a resolution criticizing Israel on
Palestinian human rights. Australia said it believed the resolution was too
one-sided against Israel and failed to take account of Israel's legitimate
security concerns or reflect the responsibility of Palestinians to end
attacks against Israel. Australia was one of eight countries, including
Canada, to vote against this resolution that was supported by 87 countries
with 70 abstaining.
Last month Australia announced new sanctions on Israel's rival Iran but
backed down on a pledge to force the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
before an international court on charges of inciting genocide.
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