AIJAC welcomes stance on Iran, criticises omission of Hamas

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council has welcomed a joint Australia-New Zealand ministerial statement’s recognition of Iran as a destabilising force, but criticised its failure to acknowledge Hamas’s role in prolonging the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In a statement responding to the Australia-New Zealand Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations on Monday, AIJAC executive director Colin Rubenstein said the statement’s principled stance against antisemitism following the Bondi Beach terror attack was welcome.

“It is regrettable, however, that when addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the statement singles out Israel while omitting the central role of Hamas’s ongoing attacks and refusal to disarm, as well as the Palestinian Authority’s failure to reform or end the Pay-to-Slay policy of rewarding terrorists with salaries,” Rubenstein said.

“These are commitments required by the Australian government when recognising a Palestinian state in August last year. Any credible pathway to peace requires acknowledging the full picture — including those actors and actions that continue to drive and sustain the conflict.”

The joint statement, released following consultations between Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and their New Zealand counterparts Judith Collins and Winston Peters, discussed the situation in the Middle East and Iran’s role as “a destabilising force and a threat to international peace and security”.