Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I have a statement to read on behalf of the government.

The Australian government remains a strong supporter of the Middle East peace process. We maintain our unreserved support for a just and lasting two-state solution, with Israel and a Palestinian state existing side-by-side in peace and security within internationally recognised borders. We continue to urge both sides to resume direct negotiations and stand ready to assist the peace process.

The Australian government has repeatedly acknowledged the historical fact of Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem during the 1967 war. We have repeatedly reaffirmed our commitment to UN Security Council resolutions on the issue, adopted over many years, starting with Resolutions 242 and 338.

The foreign minister had a productive morning tea with Islamic ambassadors this morning to discuss economic opportunities in the Middle East region. The Palestinian head of delegation and the Moroccan ambassador, as Dean of the Arab Diplomatic Corps, both took the opportunity to thank the minister for the government's position on the Middle East peace process.

Statements made by the Attorney-General in Senate estimates on 4 June and 5 June 2014 were a restatement of existing Australian government policy. They were made in his capacity as the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Senate. In particular, the statement which the Attorney-General read on 5 June was a statement prepared in conjunction with the foreign minister and the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was given with the foreign minister's explicit authorisation. As is apparent from the statement, it begins by reaffirming the longstanding policy of the Australian government's support for the two-state solution. Claims in the media that the Attorney-General's statements were not made with the authority of the foreign minister are completely inaccurate.

There has been no change to the Australian government's position on the legal status of the Palestinian territories. This has been made clear by the Prime Minister, the foreign minister and the Attorney-General over the last few weeks.

But we do not consider it helpful to engage in debates over legal issues nor to prejudge any final status issues that are the subject of peace negotiations. A two-state solution will be achieved through diplomatic negotiations, not legal interpretations of the issue. It has been the clear practice of Australian governments, both Liberal and Labor, over many years to refer to East Jerusalem by its geographic name.

I call upon Senator Xenophon to join the government and the ALP in using geographic names to ensure Australia's support for the all-important peace process is not derailed by political games.

The attempts by the Greens and Senator Xenophon to make political mileage from a sensitive and important issue are deplorable, particularly in the context of current developments, including the kidnapping of three young Israelis and the widening conflict in Syria and Iraq.