Shorten: ‘Awe’ of Israel unites us
Sparring Australian politicians say they were so captivated by a visit to Israel this week, that they put their differences aside.
SPARRING Australian politicians say they were so captivated by a visit to Israel this week, that they put their differences aside.
In a speech in Jerusalem, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten suggested that it was “awe” of Israel and the Jewish people that was unifying Aussie adversaries.
Shorten was taking part in the Australia-Israel-UK Leadership Dialogue, alongside former prime minister Tony Abbott, Trade Minister Steven Ciobo, and other politicians – several of whom got so matey that they went running together up the Mount of Olives.
“In the heat of our respective political debates, in Australia, we argue with each other, we ridicule each other, we label each other every insulting adjective we can get our hands on and when we run out of those labels, we go back to the top of the list and start again,” Shorten said. “But something interesting has been happening on this trip. Our domestic instability is receding. Such is the power of Israel.
“Such is the force it exerts on our collective imagination. All of the Australian guests I believe, and we heard it from the Trade Minister, we are united, in a quiet form of awe. We are captivated by this nation of the oldest traditions and the newest inventions.”
He also spoke about “Jewish Australians who, having seen the worst of times, sought to build the best of times for their children, and coming generations”.
The AJN, meanwhile, provided his segue into discussing modern Israel. Reflecting on the UN resolution that paved the way for the state’s creation, he said, “The Australian Jewish News – a Jewish newspaper five years older than our national Parliament – described that day and that decision as: ‘the realisation of a 2000-year-old dream’.
“Yet I realise at this dialogue and tonight, Israel is more than an old dream made real, it is more than an ancient hope fulfilled. It is a leader in the new world, the digital world.”
Discussing this high-tech flair in an interview with The AJN, Shorten said that he wants to replicate it back home. “In Australia, when you fail you tend to have a lot of bricks thrown at you,” he said, adding that Israelis are more ready to try new things, make mistakes, and then move on. In his view, other key factors in Israel’s high-tech success are education that elevates fresh thinking, and a commitment throughout the country to innovation. He said: “Innovation isn’t just a buzzword, it has to be ingrained.”
Shorten’s sentiments were echoed by Ciobo, who said, “Australia and Israel enjoy a deep friendship, underpinned by historical ties and shared values, reinforced by the contribution of our Jewish community to Australia’s social, cultural and economic profile.”
He stated that Australia “is keen to expand bilateral trade and economic links and cooperation with Israel, particularly on innovation and technology”.
In the delegation’s meetings in Ramallah, including with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, Shorten found attitudes towards a peace deal with Israel “more positive than I expected”. He commented: “I get a sense of possibility, though I don’t think there’s a roadmap.”
In Jerusalem, the delegation met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog, and Yair Lapid, chairman of the Yesh Atid party.
NATHAN JEFFAY
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