Albo’s warm letter to Herzog
'Australia is firmly committed to Israel's right to exist in peace and security within internationally recognised borders.'
ISRAEL’S president Isaac Herzog told Australian communal leader Mark Leibler “how delighted he was” to receive a “very warm letter” from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese when the two met in Jerusalem last week.
Leibler, the national chairman of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC), said it was an “absolute honour to meet with President Herzog, who I have known and admired for many years” on Monday, July 4.
He added that Herzog “anticipates a state visit to Australia sooner rather than later”.
In his letter to the Israeli President, Albanese said Australia “remains a committed friend of Israel” under his government.
“Ours is a friendship based on a shared commitment to democracy, the rule of law and the prosperity of our people,” he wrote.
“Australia is firmly committed to Israel’s right to exist in peace and security within internationally recognised borders. Australia has long supported a two-state solution and we would welcome any initiative that can assist the resumption of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians to agree [to] a durable and resilient peace settlement.”
Albanese added, “Australia will not shy away from calling out anti-Israel bias including in multilateral fora. We will continue to oppose the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and embrace the international Holocaust Remembrance Alliance [IHRA] definition of antisemitism.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Peter Wertheim said the letter “hit all the right notes”.
“It emphasised the friendship and shared values between the two nations, and Australia’s firm commitment to Israel’s right to exist in peace and security. It also confirmed that Australia’s actions will support a resumption of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians to secure a just and durable peace,” he said.
“While Australia’s new government has yet to be put to the test on these commitments, the warmth of the letter was unmistakable. It is very much appreciated by the Australian Jewish community, as I am sure it is in Israel.”
The Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) welcomed the letter “as a sign of the strong bipartisan consensus on the fundamentals” of the Australia–Israel relationship.
“Mr Albanese has been endorsing the IHRA working definition for some time, including in a letter to the ZFA in 2020,” ZFA president Jeremy Leibler said. “I look forward to this government encouraging its practical implementation.”
AIJAC executive director Colin Rubenstein said, “The very positive tone of the letter augurs well for a continuing warm and constructive relationship between the Albanese government and Israel, and we hope that this bond will deepen and grow even stronger in the future.”
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