Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move the motion, as amended:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes:

(i)

the call last week by 135 respected global leaders, including former presidents, prime ministers, foreign and defence ministers, congressional leaders and heads of international organisations including Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Bill Hayden, John Major and Mary Robinson, for a comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict,

(ii)

that everyone has lost in this conflict except the extremists throughout the world who prosper on the rage that it continues to provoke,

(iii)

that every passing day undermines prospects for a peaceful, enduring solution and that, as long as the conflict lasts, it will generate instability and violence in the region and beyond,

(iv)

the need for United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions 242 of 1967 and 338 of 1973, the Camp David peace accords of 1978, the Clinton Parameters of 2000, the Arab League Initiative of 2002, and the Roadmap proposed in 2003 by the Quartet (UN, United States of America, European Union and Russia) to be implemented in resolving the conflict, and

(v)

that the goal must be security and full recognition to the state of Israel within internationally-recognised borders, an end to the occupation for the Palestinian people in a viable independent, sovereign state and the negotiated return of lost land to Syria; and

(b)

calls on the Government to join these world leaders in pressing for a new international conference, held as soon as possible and attended by all relevant players, at which all the elements of a comprehensive peace agreement would be mapped, momentum generated for detailed negotiations and steps taken by the key players, including:

(i)

support for a Palestinian national unity government, in the hope that the platform of such a government would reflect Quartet principles—recognition of the state of Israel, renunciation of violence and adoption of prior agreements—and allow for early engagement,

(ii)

talks between Israel and the Palestinian leadership mediated by the Quartet and reinforced by the participation of the Arab League and key regional countries, on rapidly enhancing mutual security and allowing revival of the Palestinian economy,

(iii)

talks between the Palestinian leadership and the Israeli Government, sponsored by a reinforced Quartet, on the core political issues that stand in the way of achieving a final status agreement, and

(iv)

parallel talks of the reinforced Quartet with Israel, Syria and Lebanon, to discuss the foundations on which Israeli-Syrian and Israeli-Lebanese agreements can be reached.

I also seek leave to table a list of the world leaders mentioned in the motion.

Leave granted.

Question put:

That the motion (That the motion (Senator Allison’s), be agreed to.) be agreed to.