Israel’s prime minister will be its first serving PM to visit Australia but he is expected to face protests

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

More than 60 prominent Australians, including former Labor politicians, senior legal professionals and clergy, have signed a statement opposing Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official visit to Australia because of his government’s policies towards Palestinians.

“It is time for the suffering of the Palestinian people to stop and for Australia to take a more balanced role in supporting the application of international law and not supporting Mr Netanyahu and his policies,” they write.

The signatories include the former solicitor general Gavan Griffith, lawyer Julian Burnside, businesswoman Janet Holmes à Court, former ACT chief minister Jon Stanhope and the former federal Labor politicians Laurie Ferguson, Melissa Parke, Alan Griffin and Jill Hall.

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Protests against Netanyahu’s visit are planned in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney after he arrives on Wednesday.

It is the first visit to Australia by a serving Israeli prime minister and follows Netanyahu’s meeting with the US president, Donald Trump last week.

During that visit, Trump dropped a two-decade US commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel as part of a permanent Middle East peace agreement.

Israel’s recent controversial push to expand Jewish settlements on land it occupies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are likely to feature in talks between the Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and the Israeli leader.



Turnbull says his government’s position in support of a two-state solution has not changed.

They are also likely to discuss cyber security and economic issues.

During the visit, Netanyahu is expected to also meet the federal opposition leader, Bill Shorten, and the New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, and attend community functions.

Shorten is facing mounting pressure from within his own Labor party to commit the ALP to the diplomatic recognition of Palestine.

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One Labor figure told Guardian Australia last week that it was fortunate the visit was happening while parliament was not sitting, because some MPs might have boycotted Netanyahu’s address.

A spokesman for the shadow foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said: “Labor has long supported, and continues to support, a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“We support Israel’s right to exist within secure and recognised boundaries and the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. A just two-state resolution will require recognising the right of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples to live in peace and security.”

Netanyahu originally planned to visit Australia in mid-2014 but postponed the trip.

With Australian Associated Press