Media Releases

The following is the statement released by AIJAC on the resolution on the Israel-Palestinian conflict passed by the NSW State ALP Conference on 30 July 2017:

“While AIJAC continues to believe that resolutions prematurely calling for unilateral recognition of a ‘Palestinian state’ are problematic and unhelpful to advancing a two-state Israeli-Palestinian peace, we are pleased that the proposed NSW ALP conference resolution was amended in a positive way prior to its passage. The new clause about the right of both peoples to live in states within ‘secure and recognised boundaries’ qualifies the original one-sided language. It is also more consistent with the existing bipartisan consensus in Australia calling for the core of our national policy approach to the conflict to be encouraging a genuine and lasting two-state peace through direct negotiations between the parties.

“Recognising ‘Palestine’ unconditionally and immediately would not only be inconsistent with international law – ‘Palestine’ does not meet the established criteria for statehood at present – and also effectively accord recognition to the Hamas terror groups which rule part of ‘Palestine’, but would reward the Palestinian leadership’s rejection of repeated viable Israeli peace offers and the Palestinian refusal in recent years to even negotiate. However, considering such recognition in the context of negotiated arrangements which provides both peoples with statehood ‘within secure and recognised boundaries’ would be a very different matter – and we welcome the comments from Federal Labor leaders, including party leader Bill Shorten, which indicate they are well aware of this important difference.”

Mark Leibler AC
National Chairman

Dr. Colin Rubenstein AM
Executive Director

For additional information, contact AIJAC on (03)-9681-6660.