The ADC has expressed its disappointment with a partisan, counterproductive resolution adopted by the SA Parliament that blames Israel for the impasse in the peace talks, labels settlements an obstacle to peace and calls on the Federal government to recognise the State of Palestine.
Motion by the South Australian Parliament:
That this House –
(a) notes that the Australian Government is committed to a Two-State Solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict and that unless measures are taken this option will vanish;
(b) affirms that the continuation of settlement building is in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and various resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, the most recent being Resolution 2334 (2016), and constitutes a major obstacle to peace;
(c) believes that support for a Two-State Solution and for self- determination for both Israelis and Palestinians requires taking active measures by the international community; calls on the Commonwealth Government to recognise the State of Palestine (as we have recognised the State of Israel) and announce the conditions and timelines to achieve such recognition.
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC, issued the following statement:
“With this one-sided and unconstructive motion, which turns reality inside out and which does not bother with the facts, the SA parliament has embraced long time inaccuracies and misguided narratives. Settlements are not the main obstacle to peace, but are rather one of numerous complex issues which must be resolved through direct negotiations as part of a final-status agreement. In the past Israel has been willing to dismantle settlements in the interest of peace, and has offered to uproot West Bank settlements as part of a two state solution. Worse, the motion blames the Israeli government for the impasse, but fails to hold the Palestinian Authority responsible for their own obstructionist actions, particularly its continuous incitement and refusal to engage in bilateral talks. It completely omits to mention the terrorist organisation Hamas which has openly called for the destruction of Israel, uses Palestinian children as human shields, murders its own people, and has launched more than 15,000 rockets into Israeli cities. The call for the Federal government to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state is unhelpful, premature, and will only harm the chances for a lasting reconciliation since it will send the message to the Palestinian Authority that they can persist in circumventing serious negotiations and are not obligated to make the difficult concessions necessary.”
For further information please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on (03) 9272 5677.