ZFA welcome parliamentary leaders’ speeches on Australian-Israeli relations over 70 years
The Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) has welcomed the speeches by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten delivered in Parliament marking 70 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and Israel.
President of the ZFA, Jeremy Leibler said, “The words spoken in Federal Parliament today by both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition reflect the close, enduring relationship between Australia and Israel.”
“Given that Australia has welcomed the largest community of Holocaust survivors per capitaoutside of Israel, it’s a relationship based on personal and family stories, as well as the sharedhistory of our two nations,” Mr Leibler added.
“To the great credit of many Australian leaders, this friendship has transcended partisan politics, and the Jewish community here never takes that for granted,” Mr Leibler remarked.
“Australian Governments of all persuasions have a proud history of supporting Israel in the international arena and so I particularly welcome the Prime Minister calling out the anti- Israel bias of the United Nations General Assembly. Western countries who lay sole blame on Israel for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, bear real responsibility for thecontinuation of Hamas’ terror activities, and its neglect and abuse of its own people,” Mr Leibler concluded.