The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia

AUSTRALIA, ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST

A TIME TO BUILD

Address by the Hon Alexander Downer, MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to the 37th Biennial Conference of the Zionist Federation of Australia/ United Israel Appeal, Melbourne, 2 June 1996

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Introduction: Australia and Israel - Australia's Commitment

I want to thank the Zionist Federation of Australia and the United Israel Appeal for their invitation to speak today on the topic "Australia, Israel and the Middle East".

I welcome this opportunity to outline the Government's approach to its relations with Israel and with a region which occupies an increasingly important role in terms of Australia's broader strategic and commercial interests.

Relations between Australia and the State of Israel are becoming increasingly important to both countries.

Australia's relations with Israel will be a high priority for this government.

Indeed, on my first day as Foreign Minister, as a visible sign of this Government's and this country's commitment to peace in Israel, I joined with the Jewish Community in the deeply moving memorial service for the victims of the cowardly and abhorrent terrorist bombings which were directed at innocent Israeli civilians in February and March this year.

I said then that Australia stood with Israel and with the elected Palestinian leadership in meeting the challenge posed to peace by such terrorist actions.

Again today, I want to pledge that Australia remembers - and will remember - the sacrifice made by Israelis in the struggle to secure a just and lasting peace.

I want also to state clearly that Australia has an absolute, unshakeable commitment to the security of Israel. The nation of Israel, its people, its values, its courage in adversity and its ultimate purpose as the secure homeland for the Jewish people appeal deeply to us.

Australia stands with Israel in its fight against terrorism and in its determination to negotiate a just, enduring and comprehensive peace settlement in the Middle East which will see Arab and Jew live and work together side by side in a genuine spirit of cooperation and harmony.

The message I bring with me today as I outline the principal features of the Government's policy toward Israel and the region more generally is one of both continuity and change.

There is continuity in the general perceptions that this Government brings to the outlook for the region and Israel's place in it since the end of the Gulf War. The Australian Government welcomes and supports the commitment of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to put an end to decades of confrontation, and to seek ways in which to live peacefully together with dignity and security for Jews and Arabs alike.

But the Government also has a strong determination to build a bilateral relationship with Israel that takes advantage of the new circumstances that are shaping the Middle East.

The peace process has already changed the geopolitical form of the Middle East. The role Israel will play in its own region and beyond is also changing.

Australia recognises the significance of these changes. We are ready to work with Israel to help consolidate the positive outcomes of the peace process.

And we are ready to help Israel to achieve greater engagement - both political and economic - in the Asia Pacific region, to take full advantage of the fast-moving developments which have been transforming our part of the world.

Today I want to examine with you ways in which Australia and Israel can deepen their ties and build a new partnership. I then briefly want to look at that relationship in the context of changes in the Middle East. Finally, I want to address the most important issue of all - the question of securing peace in the Middle East.

Part One: Australia and Israel - A New Partnership

The Australian Government intends to build a relationship between Australia and Israel which is based on solid assessments of national interest, shared concerns, common objectives and mutual benefit.

The Government looks forward with Israel to a Middle East harnessing the talents of its peoples and developing its resources for a common good, freed from the hatreds of the past. The Government applauds the determination of both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to find the political formulas required to achieve that.

Australia is fundamentally committed to Israel's right to exist within secure and recognised borders. The Government also supports - as did the previous Australian Government - the right of the Palestinians to self determination .

The Government acknowledges, of course, that the question of Palestinian self-determination and the ultimate shape of the Palestinian entity, including the possibility of an independent state, is subject to the final status negotiations between the parties directly involved.

The Australian Government is committed to constructive participation in efforts to support the peace process within our means and the scope of our expertise.

The Australian Government regards the struggle against terrorism as a natural part of its support for the peace process.

Both the former Australian Government and the new Government unequivocally condemned the terrorist attacks in February and March in the strongest terms.

Australia was among the first Western countries to have urged Mr Arafat to take all appropriate steps within his power to prevent acts of terror. Iran's support for terrorism is unacceptable.

Australia was not invited to the Sharm el Sheikh summit, but took a close interest in and welcomed its outcomes.

There are also good reasons of mutual economic interest why Australia and Israel should move closer together.

The Australian business community is becoming more aware of the export potential of the Israeli market, and the capacity of Israeli business partners to assist in Australian penetration of markets elsewhere. There are solid commercial grounds for building such linkages.

The reverse is also true. Australian business knowledge of the Asia Pacific is available to its Israeli counterparts. Australia is a natural and competitive base for joint ventures directed towards that market.

Australian firms are finding that they can benefit from Israeli skills in the commercial application of research and development, including in areas such as food and agriculture.

Australia and Israel should cooperate more actively on multilateral issues. For example, Australia has intensified its dialogue with Israel on arms control and United Nations reform.

Unlike its predecessor, this Government is prepared to give tangible form to its commitment to strengthening bilateral dealings with Israel in the multilateral area.

Australia supports Israel's bid in the United Nations for temporary membership of the Western European and Other States Group to which Australia belongs. The Australian Government hopes a consensus will be achieved to admit Israel on that basis, to enable it to engage more actively in the United Nations system until it is fully accepted in the Asian regional group to which it naturally belongs.

Australia has also responded positively to Israel's request that it participate in other informal consultative groups of Western countries, for example at UNCTAD IX in May this year.

Part Two: The Changing Face of Peace in the Middle East

The distance that has been travelled over the past few years towards addressing issues affecting peace and security in the Middle East is remarkable.

Yet the challenges to peace in the future cannot be ignored. The Government unequivocally reaffirms Australia's long-standing commitment to practical support for peace and security in the Middle East.

This commitment is reflected in Australia's continuing support for UNTSO - the UN Truce Supervision Organisation. It underlies the deployment of Australian forces to the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai. It led to Australia's joining the Coalition forces which liberated Kuwait in 1991, and now to the deployment of Australian naval vessels to the MIF, the multinational operation enforcing sanctions on Iraq.

Beyond these military commitments, Australia has participated actively in key aspects of the Middle East Peace Process, through two of its working groups: the Arms Control and Regional Security Working Group and the Water Resources Working Group.

Australian initiatives on weapons of mass destruction and conventional arms control mechanisms, and on regional security, have added to our traditional profile as a commodity supplier real credibility as a partner with a wider and more sophisticated agenda.

Part Three: Peace and Security for Israel: The Enduring Quest

I have referred to the Australian Government's support for the security of Israel as the starting point and a cardinal principle of Australia's approach to the Middle East. I want to reflect for a few moments on how that security can be achieved on a durable basis.

3.1 The Madrid Process

The path offering the best prospects for achieving security for Israel, for the Palestinians, and for all regional countries, is that which has been followed since the latest phase of the peace process began at Madrid in 1991.

There is broad acceptance that the peace negotiations should result in outcomes compatible with Security Council Resolutions 242, 338 and 425. The Australian Government believes that finding ways to implement those resolutions is in the fundamental interest of the parties themselves.

Australia has witnessed with much satisfaction the revitalisation of the Madrid process through the conclusion of the Declaration of Principles between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation in September 1993, the Interim Agreement of 1995, and through the commencement on schedule of the Israel-Palestinian permanent status negotiations.

Sustaining the political will of both Israelis and Palestinians to see the negotiations succeed will continue to require firm action against terrorism. Those who would destroy the peace process are growing increasingly desperate.

Further setbacks and disappointments may lie ahead. But I am confident the hope we all share for a brighter, peaceful and prosperous future will not be extinguished.

The most effective answer to terrorism lies in showing the courage to persevere with the very programs which the enemies of peace oppose. The most effective response to assaults on the peace process lies in implementing new steps in the direction of peace.

That is why the commencement of final status negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on 5 May 1996 was such a significant event. That process must be sustained by both sides, despite the gaps between them on many of the core issues.

The attainment of a lasting peace requires nothing less than a comprehensive approach, in which the sovereignty of each of the parties is respected, and their rights are protected on an equitable basis. There has therefore to be a renewed effort to engage Syria and Lebanon in the negotiating process on the basis of guarantees for Israel's security, the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 425, and an outcome regarding the Golan Heights acceptable to both sides.

3.2 Curbing Weapons of Mass Destruction

A second track to which regional countries and the international community as a whole must pay greater attention is the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. I believe that Israel's security will be enhanced by regional acceptance of international arms control treaties. Such treaties strengthen the security of all countries.

Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction poses the major challenge to global security in the post-Cold War world.

The threat of proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons is more acute in the Middle East than in any other region. The discovery in the aftermath of the Gulf War of Iraq's clandestine attempts to develop weapons of mass destruction demonstrate that this threat is not simply hypothetical.

Israel's concerns about the proliferation of these weapons are understandable. They have the potential to offset the dominant capabilities of the Israeli Defence Force in conventional warfare, and - more than that - to inflict enormous damage on Israel's population.

At the same time, widely held perceptions of Israel as a country with an undeclared nuclear weapons capability may in fact encourage proliferation tendencies in the Middle East.

These perceptions give rise to a number of adverse consequences for Israel's interests.

They work against Israel's efforts to achieve broad acceptance as a constructive and enlightened member of the community of nations. And they obviously cause concern to Israel's friends, including Australia, who are working to counter nuclear weapons proliferation, and whose own security interests are very much tied to an effective nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Because of the importance Australia attaches to these issues, including universal adherence to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Australian does expect to consult Israel on them.

The foundation stone for international action to control weapons of mass destruction has been the development and effective enforcement of global treaties either to ban them - in the case of chemical and biological weapons - or to prevent their spread, in the case of nuclear weapons.

I believe strongly that Israel's security could only be enhanced by its participation in these vital international arms control regimes. All Israel's neighbours should also participate.

In this context, Australia very warmly welcomed Israel's decision to sign the Chemical Weapons Convention. I hope Israel will soon join the growing number of countries ratifying this Treaty.

I believe it is also timely for Israel to look again at the question of accession to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and to the Biological Weapons Convention. Both treaties have an essential role in removing the threat from weapons of mass destruction.

3.3 Security with Others

Alongside the negotiations in the Madrid process, and what could be done through the arms control approach, lies a third security track. That is the long-term, painstaking task of building a regional sense of trust and shared interests.

The multilateral tracks of the peace process could be used to develop common principles for cooperation among regional countries.

In the same vein, efforts to establish regional centres for conflict resolution, and arrangements for confidence building measures should have a high priority.

If the full benefit of Israel's potential contribution to the region is to be realised, governments on all sides must focus their efforts on encouraging acceptance of compromise, and building respect for diversity.

But societies change more slowly than their leaders, so there must be a conscious effort to develop popular support for agreements reached between governments.

In other words, seeking security with governments needs to be supported by building peace between societies.

That goal will require a long-term commitment to creating the conditions for stability in Middle East societies. The international community therefore needs to be ready to help promote good governance, political equity and respect for basic human rights.

Making progress towards those objectives will help the region meet the social and economic challenges of the 21st century.

There is of course an important link between security and political outcomes.

Much will depend on willingness on Israel's part to accept risks, and to share the burden of building relations with neighbouring states whose economic, military and political weight is much less than her own.

And much will depend also on the Arab countries' readiness to accept the concept of a genuinely warm peace with Israel, and to cooperate with their neighbour to advance their region's economic and social development.

Conclusion

I would like to conclude with a clear message to the Australian Jewish community.

The Government wants to work hard to improve Australia's bilateral relations with Israel.

Much of the task of moving our bilateral relations with Israel away from a perspective dominated by the peace process will fall to the Australian Jewish community. That is no bad thing. It is business and people-to-people links that are at the heart of any solid relationship.

Along with the efforts of the Government in building ties with Israel, I look also to the Jewish community to alert other areas of Australian society to the benefits of cooperation with Israel in areas such as business, science and culture.

The Government also encourages Australian Jews to look closely at the possibilities of building business and other contacts with those Arab neighbours with whom Israel is at peace. There are opportunities with the Palestinians, and in Jordan and in Egypt. The Government will do all it can to support such efforts.

It is important to mirror those contacts at home, in Australia. The Government applauds the efforts the Jewish community has made already to reach out to other parts of the Australian community with Middle East interests.

Just as the Middle East is changing, so too must Australians of all backgrounds bring themselves to deal with new realities.

I would urge the Jewish community to think imaginatively about ways in which it can contribute to the process of turning peace agreements into new and rewarding realities for Arabs and Israelis alike.

The process of building peace will be hard.

The Australian Government appreciates the courage and vision that all parties to the negotiations have demonstrated in making the progress that has been recorded to date in the peace process.

The Government admires the role Israel is playing. All Australians applaud Israel's perseverance in the face of attacks upon its security and that of its citizens, and its willingness to accept the risks associated with its quest for peace.

To borrow from the memorable words of the late Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin: the risks of peace are preferable by far to the grim certainties of war.

The victory of Mr Netanyahu in the Israeli elections sets the scene for a new phase in the peace process in which security issues will play a key part. The manner in which the incoming Israeli government presents its policies will be watched carefully in the region and beyond.

We are confident that the qualities shown by Mr Netanyahu in leading his party to victory will provide a basis for positive and constructive approaches on Israel's part to the challenges that lie ahead.

It should not be forgotten that one of Mr Netanyahu's predecessors as a Likud Prime Minister, the late Menachem Begin, demonstrated to the world at Camp David that Likud is prepared to take risks for peace. He bequeathed a proud heritage to his successors.

Australia, for its part, firmly supports a continuation of the negotiating framework and constructive dealing established between Israel and the PLO since the Oslo Declaration of Principles in 1993.

The Government hopes that the incoming Israeli government will continue vigorously to pursue the peace process along those lines, and that all other participants in that process will contribute to the achievement of a comprehensive settlement of outstanding differences.

The Israeli Government should be confident that Australia stands resolutely beside it in its efforts to achieve peace.