Clinton, Rudd talk Israel and Iran
IT wasn't all strolls by the Yarra River during United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Australia earlier this week.
IT wasn’t‚ all strolls by the Yarra River during United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Australia earlier this week.
Among the priorities outlined in the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) document issued by Clinton (pictured), her Defence Secretary Robert Gates, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Defence Minister Stephen Smith, was a commitment to support peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The official declaration includes a paragraph on the Middle East conflict. It also includes a strongly worded commitment to the Palestinians, without anything similar for the Israelis.
“Australia expressed strong support for US-led efforts to achieve a just and enduring peace in the Middle East based on a two-state solution,” the statement said.
Among the recommendations, it says both states urge the Israelis and Palestinians to “seize the opportunity for peace by continuing, as a matter of urgency, direct talks, with the goal of reaching agreement on final status issues within one year”.
On the eve of an Israeli announcement that it had approved construction of 1300 new Jewish homes in East Jerusalem, the communique also called on the warring parties to “refrain from any actions including settlement activity, which undermine the trust and climate of negotiations”.
In an interesting move from the two governments, which have both been noted for their decisions to slap Israel on the wrist from time to time, the document also committed to assisting the Palestinians, with no counter commitment for Israel.
“Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to Palestinian institution building in preparation for statehood and called on all parties, particularly regional countries, to support these efforts through financial and other tangible assistance.”
The AUSMIN declaration also included yet another call to Iran to halt its nuclear weapons program, imploring the Islamic regime to comply with United Nations Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency resolutions.
In Melbourne, Gates told journalists Iran is suffering from the economic sanctions against the country.
“The sanctions are biting more deeply than they anticipated and we are working very hard at this,” he said. “So I would say that I disagree that only a credible military threat can get Iran to take the actions that it needs to end its nuclear program.
NAOMI LEVIN
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