Howard urges Gillard to support Israel in UN
DURING a visit to Israel this month, former prime minister John Howard urged the Gillard Government to stand by the Jewish State at the United Nations later this year.
DURING a visit to Israel this month, former prime minister John Howard urged the Gillard Government to stand by the Jewish State at the United Nations later this year.
With speculation abounding about the prospect of a vote on Palestinian independence at September’s General Assembly, the former Liberal leader said he hopes the Australian Government “votes in the same manner that the government I led would have voted”.
He added: “Whatever the outcome, I am certain that Israel will continue to exist. No-one can force Israel to do anything or to go in a direction it doesn’t want to.”
Despite holding no official position in Australia, Howard held meetings with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Minister of Defence Ehud Barak. He also dined with Australians living in Israel at an evening hosted by Israel’s Ambassador to Australia Yuval Rotem and Melbourne businessman Ashley Krongold, travelled to the Golan Heights with IDF officers and drove an electric car at the Better Place visitors centre.
While in Jerusalem, he planted a tree on behalf of the Jewish National Fund, with whom he has had close connections over more than a decade.
“I even have a forest [in Be’er Sheva] named after me, but this is the first time I am planting a tree in Jerusalem, and I must say that I am delighted.”
Howard, who first visited Israel in 1964, spoke affectionately of the Jewish State and commented briefly on the current Arab democracy movement.
“In an area of the world where people are demanding democracy for the first time, Israel stands as an oasis of freedom and democracy,” he
said. “It is difficult for me to understand why certain countries don’t appreciate this fact.”
Howard, who was visiting Israel for the fourth time, was widely regarded in Australia as a good friend of Israel by the community when he was prime minister.
The visit was organised by the Israeli Embassy in Canberra, the Israel-Australia Chamber of Commerce and the Weizmann Institute.
AJN STAFF
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