Sophie Scamps (Mackellar, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Overnight, Israel approved new measures that attempt to legalise settlement expansion and land confiscation in the occupied West Bank. Given that Australia has recognised the State of Palestine, that these settlements are illegal under international law and that Australia has used targeted sanctions elsewhere, will the Prime Minister sanction Israeli institutions and officials linked to the settlement expansion and strongly reiterate Australia's commitment to the two-state solution?

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question, and, in doing so, I note the timing of the question. The government has in place sanctions in respect of Israel, which have been announced and well publicised. But underpinning that fundamentally has been a position which has been held by this government, which is consistent with governments of the past from both political parties, of supporting a two-state solution—a two-state solution which on the one hand provides for the legitimate aspiration of the Palestinian people to have statehood, but which on the other hand also provides for the people of Israel to live with security. That continues to be the position that our government has held. In the face of the very complex situation which has evidently played out in the Middle East, every step that we have taken as a government has been underpinned by that very clear position.

In saying that, it is also important for me to acknowledge on this day that we have in this country the head of state of one of those states, the State of Israel. His visit to our country is an important visit at the invitation of both the Prime Minister and the Governor-General. It's an important visit on its own terms in respect of the bilateral relationship between Australia and Israel. But, in the context of the tragedy of the Bondi massacre, his presence in Australia today is very significant for our nation and particularly for our nation's Jewish community. In that respect, the President of Israel is here today and during this week as an honoured and welcomed guest—and he is so, utterly consistent with the position that this government holds in supporting a two-state solution.