ZFA Welcomes New Israeli Government
Philip Chester, the president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, has welcomed the new Israeli government.
ZFA President Philip Chester
Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu
Chester said: “The Zionist Federation of Australia welcomes Prime Minister Netanyahu’s newly sworn in government. Hopefully, the trimmed down cabinet of 22 ministers, with a dynamic combination of experienced and new members representing a broad spectrum of political views from the left, the centre and the right, will assist in enabling the government to effectively move forward with all of its important challenges.
At the same time, the Zionist Federation of Australia also welcomes United States President Barack Obama on his first visit to Israel since becoming President. We believe that it is significant that he chose Israel as his first stop since being re-elected last November. His plans to visit the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls as well as laying a wreath on the grave of the founder of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, shows both his understanding of the Jewish people’s 3,000 year connection to the land of Israel, and the fundamental role that modern Zionism played in the creation of the State of Israel.
The Zionist Federation of Australia is optimistic that talks between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu will be positive and reinforce the mutual understanding and close cooperation between the two allies. It is our wish that in his talks with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah he will emphasise the importance of the Palestinians returning to the negotiating table without preconditions”.
