Australia–Israel relations

Bilateral relations between Australia and Israel, were established in 1949.[1] Australia has an embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel has an embassy in Canberra.

Australia–Israel relations
Map indicating locations of Israel and Australia

Israel
Australia
Diplomatic mission
Israeli Embassy, CanberraAustralian Embassy,
Tel Aviv
Envoy
Ambassador Amir MaimonAmbassador Dr Ralph King

History

Before the establishment of Israel
Australian Light Horse Monument, Beersheba

Four Australian Light Horse brigades and a battalion of camel troops took part in the Palestine Campaign of 1916–1917. Afterwards the future Israel became part of the British Mandate of Palestine.

Sir John Monash, a prominent Jewish Australian general, civil engineer and public servant, was a leader of the Zionist movement in Australia.

During World War II, many Australian units were based, at various times, in the Mandate of Palestine. It was from there that Australian and other Commonwealth forces launched the Syria-Lebanon campaign of 1941.

The Australian foreign minister H.V. Evatt served as Chairman of the UN General Assembly's Ad Hoc Committee on Palestine and helped to push through the UN Partition Plan on November 29, 1947. Australia was the first country to vote in favour of the plan despite heavy pressure from the United Kingdom on its fellow Commonwealth nations to abstain on the resolution.[2]

Since 1948

Israel and Australia have had diplomatic relations since the Australian government of Ben Chifley recognised Israel on 28 January 1949.[3]

The Liberal–Country Party Coalition supported Israel during and after the 1967 Six-Day War. However, the subsequent Labor government led by Gough Whitlam, elected in 1972, shifted to what was described as a more "even-handed" approach to relations. The change came after the Yom Kippur War of 1973, and was linked with Whitlam's desire to be on friendlier terms with Arab countries.[4]

The subsequent Liberal government led by Malcolm Fraser, elected in 1975, expressed "support for United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242, 338 and 339 as providing the basis for a peaceful settlement". Fraser later said that Australia should "make more plain our commitment to the survival of Israel". In 1980, Andrew Peacock, then Minister for Foreign Affairs, said that "peace should be based ... upon Israel's rights to exist within secure and recognised boundaries; and upon recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to a homeland alongside Israel". Peacock's statement was echoed by Fraser in 1982, who said "the legitimate rights of the Palestinians include a homeland alongside Israel".[5]

In the 1980s, Bob Hawke opposed the UN resolution equating Zionism with racism. Ties with Israel were strengthened under Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who supported Israel in the 2006 Lebanon War.[2]

While relations between the two countries were often shaped by the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia stated that Australia's capacity to influence events within the region was limited and should not be overstated.[5]

A 2014 BBC World Service opinion poll found that 67% of Australians had a negative view of Israel's influence and 24% had a positive view. However, Israel was viewed less negatively than in the 2007 survey. Of the countries surveyed, only Indonesia and the UK had a greater proportion of their population view Israel negatively. No similar survey was conducted to ascertain Israeli perceptions of Australia.[6]

In December 2016, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop openly distanced Australia from the United States in response to their abstention regarding UNSC Resolution 2334, suggesting that Australia would have voted against the resolution had it been in the Security Council.[7] Australia was the only nation to have spoken out against the resolution besides Israel.

Monthly value (A$ millions) of Australian merchandise exports to Israel since 1988

In February 2017, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became the first incumbent Israeli leader to visit Australia. Netanyahu met with the Prime Minister and Malcolm Turnbull, Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and other state and federal politicians.[8][9]

Monthly value of Israeli merchandise exports to Australia (A$ millions) since 1988

In May 2018, Australia's ambassador to Israel, Chris Cannan, along with other diplomats from Western powers, did not attend the opening of the new United States embassy in Jerusalem.

In October 2018, Australian prime minister Scott Morrison announced Australia was reviewing whether to move Australia's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.[10] In December 2018, Morrison announced Australia has recognised West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel but will not immediately move its embassy from Tel Aviv.[11]

In October 2022, Australia reversed the previous government's decision and stated it would no longer recognise West Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Foreign Minister Penny Wong reaffirmed that Jerusalem's status should be decided through peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.[12][13]

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has openly condemned the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.[14]

In August 2023, Wong reinstated the previous policy that had been in place up to 2014. Australia would once again refer to the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "Occupied Palestinian Territories" and to Israeli settlements there as "illegal".[15]

Tax treaties

On 28 March 2019, the governments of Australia and Israel signed the first tax treaty between the two countries, to prevent double taxation and tax avoidance.[16][17] In 2017–18, total merchandise trade between Australia and Israel was worth over $1 billion, and Israel's investment in Australia in 2017 was $301 million.[16] The treaty entered into force on 1 January 2020 after both countries completed their domestic ratification procedures.[18] In 2013, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs describes Australia and Israel as having "a healthy commercial relationship with two-way trade worth $919 million."[19] In 2015–16, two-way goods and services trade amounted to $1.3 billion, of which Australian exports were worth $349 million and imports from Israel $952 million. In 2015, Australian investment in Israel totalled $663 million and Israeli investment in Australia was $262 million.[19]

Anzac Day

In Israel, Anzac Day is commemorated at the Commonwealth War cemetery on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem. The Australian Soldier Park in Beersheba is dedicated to the memory of the Australian Light Horse regiment that charged at Beersheba and defeated the Turks in World War I.[20]

Controversies
Pro-Palestine protest in Melbourne during the Israel–Hamas war, 14 October 2023

In the early 1980s, Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tony Street, criticised Israeli's Jerusalem Law and Golan Heights Law. When Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser said Israel's actions were "of the gravest concern to the Australian Government and people", and were "short sighted and foolish".[5]

In May 2010, the Australian government expelled an Israeli diplomat over the use of Australian passports forged by the Israeli government which were used in the assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said that Israel had forged Australian passports previously, and while "Australia remains a firm friend of Israel ... our relationship must be conducted on the basis of mutual trust and respect".[21]

Tension rose again after the Gaza flotilla raid,[22] in which an Australian citizen was injured. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd condemned Israel's actions.[23]

In 2013, the ABC reported that a dual Australian-Israeli citizen, Ben Zygier, had died in Israeli custody in 2010.[24] The ABC reported that Zygier, who had worked for Israeli security agency, Mossad, had been imprisoned after unintentionally sabotaging a spy operation dedicated to repatriating the bodies of Israeli soldiers killed during the Israel-Lebanon war of the 1980s.[25] This story reignited discussion about the potential for conflicts arising from dual citizenship in general, and about Jewish Australians' relationships to Israel.[26]

See also

References
  1. "The Israeli Government's Official Website, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs". Archived from the original on 14 October 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
  2. "Australia and Israel: a unique friendship". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 13 March 2008. Archived from the original on 4 May 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  3. "Australia Recognises Israel". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. NSW: National Library of Australia. 29 January 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  4. "Our ‘disappointing relationship’ with Gough", The Australian Jewish News, 23 October 2014.
  5. The Fraser Government (1975–1983), Australia and the Middle East conflict: a history of key Government statements (1947–2007), Parliament of Australia, 13 August 2012.
  6. "Negative views of Russia on the Rise: Global Poll" – The BBC World Service, p. 31.
  7. Greene, Andrew (29 December 2016). "Australia rejects Obama administration's stance against Israeli settlements". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  8. Dorsett, Jesse; Belot, Henry (22 February 2017). "Netanyahu visit: Israel PM praises Malcolm Turnbull for calling out UN". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  9. Frost, Carleen (22 February 2017). "Benjamin Netanyahu visit: Israeli PM pays tribute to ongoing 'warm friendship' with Australia". The Advertiser. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  10. Murphy, Katharine; McGowan, Michael; Davies, Anne (15 October 2018). "Jerusalem embassy move a 'sensible' proposal, says Scott Morrison". the Guardian. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  11. "Government recognises West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, embassy to stay put". ABC News. 14 December 2018.
  12. "Australia reverses decision to recognise West Jerusalem as Israel's capital". Reuters. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  13. "Australia reverses decision to recognise West Jerusalem as Israeli capital". BBC News. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  14. Spokesperson: Albo rejects BDS, The Australian Jewish News, 27 January 2022.
  15. "Australia to Refer to West Bank, East Jerusalem as 'Occupied Territory,' Israeli Settlements as 'Illegal'" – via Haaretz.
  16. "Australia's newest tax treaty – good for business". www.australianjewishnews.com.
  17. Australian Government Treasury, Israel tax treaty
  18. "Your Taxes: Israel-Australia tax treaty". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  19. "Israel country brief".
  20. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C268196
  21. Maley, Paul (24 May 2010). "Rudd government to expel Israeli diplomat over forged passports used in Hamas hit". The Australian.
  22. Koutsoukis, Jason (31 May 2010). "Gaza flotilla attack: Australian injured". Ashdod, Israel: Queensland Country Life. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  23. "Kevin Rudd has condemned Israel over raid on Gaza aid ships". news.com.au. 1 June 2010. Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  24. Death of Ben Zygier
  25. "Zygier sabotaged mission to bring home soldiers' remains". ABC News. 7 May 2013.
  26. "Dual Loyalty Accusations Arise from the Ben Zygier Case". Galus Australis: Jewish Life in Australia. 22 February 2013. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013.
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