75th birthday toast to Israel
'A great opportunity for us to celebrate a milestone for Israel … not just its survival, but the pre-conditions for Israel and Israelis to thrive'
THAT Israel is “a beacon of democratic freedom, the only true democracy in the region” is a consensus “beyond the mainstream political contest” in Victoria, observed Premier Daniel Andrews in a toast celebrating Israel’s 75th birthday.
“To the extent that I’ve been able to make that contribution towards that bipartisan clarity, I’m proud to have done that,” the Premier said.
At the Windsor Hotel on Tuesday night, Andrews was joined by Opposition leader John Pesutto, Israel’s ambassador Amir Maimon and community leaders in paying tribute to Israel at an event co-hosted by Zionism Victoria (ZV), the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV), the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ).
Andrews described the event as “a great opportunity for us to celebrate a milestone for Israel … not just its survival, but the pre-conditions for Israel and Israelis to thrive”.
Addressing multiculturalism, he reflected, “We’re better for our differences,” and decried neo-Nazi rallies near Parliament this year as “painful, evil, shameful symbols just across the road”.
“I’m sure that there will be bipartisan support that just as we’ve banned symbols of hate, we’ll ban gestures of hate as well,” said Andrews on proposed Victorian legislation to outlaw Nazi salutes.
Flagging an upcoming visit to Israel, Liberal leader John Pesutto reflected, “I can only join with the Premier and say how proud I am – like I’m sure Daniel is, and all of our colleagues – to be part of a Parliament that comes together with such strong support for the State of Israel.
“Democracy in that region of the world cannot be easy, and we know from our own democracy, how challenging balancing the rights and different viewpoints between people can be,” he said.
Condemning neo-Nazi rallies, Pesutto described a recent visit to the Melbourne Holocaust Museum with Liberal Deputy David Southwick, where the leader met with a survivor guide who said to him, “We cannot let this happen again.”
“I join with the Premier and I want you to know that there is not a sliver of light on this between us. There will be a solid brick wall to this.”
Maimon lauded the Andrews government for “becoming the only Australian state so far to open a trade office in Israel”. And he said he looked forward to Pesutto’s visit to Israel.
Anticipating direct flights between Israel and Melbourne from early next year, the ambassador noted the 13,700 kilometre journey would be made easier. He quipped, “You’ll have – and it’s a kind of a warning – more Israelis in town.”
ZV president Yossi Goldfarb said afterwards that the event “reflects the unwavering friendship of both the Labor and Liberal Parties”. JCCV president Daniel Aghion described it as “a fitting opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the close connections”. ZFA president Jeremy Leibler spoke of “enduring and bipartisan support for Israel”. ECAJ president Jillian Segal noted, “Across Australia, our Jewish community is fortunate to have the strong support of our parliamentary leaders.”
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