 | |
 Israel |  Australia |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Israeli Embassy, Canberra | Australian Embassy, Tel Aviv |
| Envoy | |
| Ambassador Amir Maimon | Ambassador Dr Ralph King |
The bilateral relations between Australia and Israel were formally established in 1949. [1] Australia has an embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel has an embassy in Canberra.
Four Australian Light Horse brigades and a battalion of camel troops took part in the Sinai Campaign of 1916–1917.
Sir John Monash, a prominent Jewish Australian was a general, civil engineer and public servant.
During World War II, many Australian units were based, at various times, in the Sinai. It was from there that Australian and other Commonwealth forces launched the Syria-Lebanon campaign of 1941.
The Australian foreign minister H.V. Evatt served as Chairman of the UN General Assembly's Ad Hoc Committee on Palestine and helped to push through the UN Partition Plan on November 29, 1947. Australia was the first country to vote in favour of the plan despite heavy pressure from the United Kingdom on its fellow Commonwealth nations to abstain on the resolution. [2]
Israel and Australia have had diplomatic relations since the Australian government of Ben Chifley recognised Israel on 28 January 1949. [3]
The Liberal–Country Party Coalition supported Israel during and after the 1967 Six-Day War. However, the subsequent Labor government led by Gough Whitlam, elected in 1972, shifted to what was described as a more "even-handed" approach to relations. The change came after the Yom Kippur War of 1973, and was linked with Whitlam's desire to be on friendlier terms with Arab countries. [4]
The subsequent Liberal government led by Malcolm Fraser, elected in 1975, expressed "support for United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242, 338 and 339 as providing the basis for a peaceful settlement". Fraser later said that Australia should "make more plain our commitment to the survival of Israel". In 1980, Andrew Peacock, then Minister for Foreign Affairs, said that "peace should be based ... upon Israel's rights to exist within secure and recognised boundaries; and upon recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to a homeland alongside Israel". Peacock's statement was echoed by Fraser in 1982, who said "the legitimate rights of the Palestinians include a homeland alongside Israel". [5]
In the 1980s, Prime Minister Bob Hawke opposed UN Resolution 3379, which designated Zionism as a form of racism, labelling it a "blatant distortion of the truth". [6] Australia had voted against the resolution's adoption in 1975, [7] and sponsored its revocation in 1991. [8] Ties with Israel were strengthened under Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who supported Israel in the 2006 Lebanon War. [2]
While relations between the two countries were often shaped by the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Prime Minister John Howard stated that Australia's capacity to influence events within the region was limited and should not be overstated. [5]
A 2014 BBC World Service opinion poll found that 67% of Australians had a negative view of Israel's influence and 24% had a positive view. However, Israel was viewed less negatively than in the 2007 survey. Of the countries surveyed, only Indonesia and the UK had a greater proportion of their population view Israel negatively. No similar survey was conducted to ascertain Israeli perceptions of Australia. [9]
In December 2016, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop openly distanced Australia from the United States in response to their abstention regarding UNSC Resolution 2334, suggesting that Australia would have voted against the resolution had it been in the Security Council. [10] Australia was the only nation to have spoken out against the resolution besides Israel.
In February 2017, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became the first incumbent Israeli leader to visit Australia. Netanyahu met with the Prime Minister and Malcolm Turnbull, Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and other state and federal politicians. [11] [12]
In May 2018, Australia's ambassador to Israel, Chris Cannan, along with other diplomats from Western powers, did not attend the opening of the new United States embassy in Jerusalem.
In October 2018, Australian prime minister Scott Morrison announced Australia was reviewing whether to move Australia's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. [13] In December 2018, Morrison announced Australia has recognised West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel but will not immediately move its embassy from Tel Aviv. [14]
In October 2022, Australia reversed the previous government's decision and stated it would no longer recognise West Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Foreign Minister Penny Wong reaffirmed that Jerusalem's status should be decided through peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. [15] [16]
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has openly condemned the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. [17]
In August 2023, Wong reinstated the previous policy that had been in place up to 2014. Australia would once again refer to the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza as "Occupied Palestinian Territories" and to Israeli settlements there as "illegal". [18] [19] The foreign affairs minister of Australia has stated that the country has not given weapons to Israel since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. [20] In December 2024, Australia split with the United States and voted with 156 other countries at the United Nations to end Israel's "unlawful presence" in the occupied Palestinian territories. [21]
In the wake of the 2024 Melbourne synagogue attack, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, linked the above UN resolution with the attack. He was quoted as saying, "“It is impossible to separate the reprehensible arson attack from the federal government’s extreme anti-Israeli position". [22]
On 28 March 2019, the governments of Australia and Israel signed the first tax treaty between the two countries, to prevent double taxation and tax avoidance. [23] [24] In 2017–18, total merchandise trade between Australia and Israel was worth over $1 billion, and Israel's investment in Australia in 2017 was $301 million. [23] The treaty entered into force on 1 January 2020 after both countries completed their domestic ratification procedures. [25] In 2013, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs describes Australia and Israel as having "a healthy commercial relationship with two-way trade worth $919 million." [26] In 2015–16, two-way goods and services trade amounted to $1.3 billion, of which Australian exports were worth $349 million and imports from Israel $952 million. In 2015, Australian investment in Israel totalled $663 million and Israeli investment in Australia was $262 million. [26]
In Israel, Anzac Day is commemorated at the Commonwealth War cemetery on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem. The Australian Soldier Park in Beersheba is dedicated to the memory of the Australian Light Horse regiment that charged at Beersheba and defeated the Turks in World War I. [27]
In the early 1980s, Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tony Street, criticised Israeli's Jerusalem Law and Golan Heights Law. When Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser said Israel's actions were "of the gravest concern to the Australian Government and people", and were "short sighted and foolish". [5]
In May 2010, the Australian government expelled an Israeli diplomat over the use of Australian passports forged by the Israeli government which were used in the assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said that Israel had forged Australian passports previously, and while "Australia remains a firm friend of Israel ... our relationship must be conducted on the basis of mutual trust and respect". [28]
Tension rose again after the Gaza flotilla raid, [29] in which an Australian citizen was injured. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd condemned Israel's actions. [30]
In 2013, the ABC reported that a dual Australian-Israeli citizen, Ben Zygier, had died in Israeli custody in 2010. [31] [ circular reference ] The ABC reported that Zygier, who had worked for Israeli security agency, Mossad, had been imprisoned after unintentionally sabotaging a spy operation dedicated to repatriating the bodies of Israeli soldiers killed during the Israel-Lebanon war of the 1980s. [32] This story reignited discussion about the potential for conflicts arising from dual citizenship in general, and about Jewish Australians' relationships to Israel. [33]
In June 2024, The Guardian reported that the Australian Border Force had questioned three Australian nationals suspected of planning to travel to Israel to serve in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). The Australian government also issued a warning for Australians planning to serve in foreign militaries "to carefully consider their legal obligations and ensure their conduct does not constitute a criminal offence." [34] In mid-December 2024, the Jerusalem Post and Middle East Eye reported that Israeli nationals intending to enter Australia on visitor visas were asked to complete lengthy questionnaires regarding their military service in the IDF and involvement in human rights abuses, war crimes and genocide during the Israel-Hamas war. This led to two Israeli siblings, intending to attend a family function in Australia, having their visa applications delayed. [35] [36] In response, the Zionist Federation of Australia sought clarification from the Australian government on whether visa requirements for Israeli nationals had changed. [35]
BenjaminNetanyahu is an Israeli politician who has been serving as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history, having served a total of over 17 years.
Foreign relations of Israel refers to diplomatic and trade relations between Israel and other countries around the world. Israel has diplomatic ties with 165 of the other 192 UN member states as of 12 December 2020. Israel is a member of the United Nations (UN) and a number of other international organisations. Israel maintains full diplomatic relations with two of its Arab neighbours, Egypt and Jordan, after signing peace treaties in 1979 and 1994 respectively. In 2020, Israel signed agreements establishing diplomatic relations with three Arab League countries, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco. As of 2021, Israel had formal diplomatic relations with 168 other countries, while twenty-eight UN member states have either never established, or have broken off diplomatic relations with Israel.
The United States was the first country to recognize the nascent State of Israel on May 14, 1948. Since the 1960s, the Israel–U.S. relationship has grown into a mutually beneficial alliance in economic, strategic and military aspects. The U.S. has provided strong support for Israel: it has played a key role in the promotion of good relations between Israel and its neighbouring Arab states—notably Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt—while holding off hostility from countries such as Syria and Iran. In turn, Israel provides a strategic American foothold in the region as well as intelligence and advanced technological partnerships in both the civilian and military worlds. During the Cold War, Israel was a vital counterweight to Soviet influence in the region. Relations with Israel are an important factor in the U.S. government's overall foreign policy in the Middle East; the U.S. Congress has placed considerable importance on the maintenance of a supportive relationship. The relationship has been marked by the strong influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobby which has its own political action committee (PAC); it has been called one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States.
The status of Jerusalem has been described as "one of the most intractable issues in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict" due to the long-running territorial dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, both of which claim it as their capital city. Part of this issue of sovereignty is tied to concerns over access to holy sites in the Abrahamic religions; the current religious environment in Jerusalem is upheld by the "Status Quo" of the former Ottoman Empire. As the Israeli–Palestinian peace process has primarily navigated the option of a two-state solution, one of the largest points of contention has been East Jerusalem, which was part of the Jordanian-annexed West Bank until the beginning of the Israeli occupation in 1967.
Israel–New Zealand relations are the foreign relations between the State of Israel and New Zealand. While Israel has an embassy in Wellington, New Zealand's embassy in Ankara, Turkey is accredited to Israel. Diplomatic relations between the two countries date back to January 1949. New Zealand has exported a mixture of agricultural and manufactured goods to Israel. In return, Israel has exported a range of manufactured goods to New Zealand. Bilateral relations between the two countries have been complicated by issues such as the 2004 Israel–New Zealand passport scandal, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, and the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Angola and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1993. In 1995, Israel opened an embassy in Luanda and in 2000, Angola opened an embassy in Tel Aviv.
Ireland–Israel relations are foreign relations between Ireland and the State of Israel. Relations between the two countries have been complex and generally strained due to their conflicting positions on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
Israel–Ukraine relations are foreign relations between Israel and Ukraine. Both countries recognized each other on 11 May 1949 as the Ukrainian SSR and established de jure diplomatic relations on 26 December 1991 when Ukraine became independent. Israel has an embassy in Kyiv. Ukraine has an embassy in Tel Aviv and a consulate-general in Haifa. There are 30,000 Ukrainians settled in Israel, while Ukraine has one of Europe's largest Jewish communities. Ukraine was also the first state outside of Israel to have had both a Jewish president and prime minister simultaneously.
Israel and Spain have maintained diplomatic ties since 1986. Israel has an embassy in Madrid. Spain has an embassy in Tel Aviv, and an honorary consulate in Haifa. There is also a General Consulate in Jerusalem, which serves as a diplomatic mission to the city of Jerusalem, Gaza and the territories of the West Bank. In addition to both countries being member states of the United Nations, both countries are members of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Relations between Israel and the Czech Republic, and its predecessor state Czechoslovakia, have varied widely over time.
Israel–Singapore relations refers to the bilateral relations between the State of Israel and the Republic of Singapore. Relations between the two countries have been extremely cordial and friendly for more than half a century.
Israel–Kosovo relations refer to bilateral relations between Israel and Kosovo. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. Israel and Kosovo agreed on 4 September 2020, as part of negotiations for the Kosovo and Serbia Economic Normalization agreements, to mutually recognize each other. It was initially reported that the mutual recognition had not yet gone into effect at that point, and Israel's recognition of Kosovo was expected to be formally declared "in the coming weeks". However, on 21 September the ambassador of Israel to Serbia, Yahel Vilan, confirmed that Israel had indeed recognized Kosovo on 4 September 2020. The two countries established diplomatic relations on 1 February 2021. On 14 March 2021 Kosovo officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem.
Relations between Argentina and Israel began shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948, with the countries establishing diplomatic relations on 31 May 1949.
As of June 2024, the State of Palestine is recognized as a sovereign state by 146 of the 193 member states of the United Nations, or just over 75% of all UN members. It has been a non-member observer state of the United Nations General Assembly since November 2012. This limited status is largely due to the fact that the United States, a permanent member of the UN Security Council with veto power, has consistently used its veto or threatened to do so to block Palestine's full UN membership.
The two-state solution is a proposed approach to resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, by creating two states on the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. It is often contrasted with the one-state solution, which is the establishment a single state in former Mandatory Palestine with equal rights for all its inhabitants. The two-state solution is supported by many countries and the Palestinian Authority. Israel currently does not support the idea, though it has in the past.
Israel–Nauru relations are diplomatic and other relations between Israel and Nauru. Israel has a non-resident ambassador in Jerusalem and honorary consulate (Yaren), Nauru has an honorary consulate.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 was adopted on 23 December 2016. It concerns the Israeli settlements in "Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem". The resolution passed in a 14–0 vote by members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Four members with United Nations Security Council veto power voted for the resolution, while the United States abstained. The resolution states that Israel's settlement activity constitutes a "flagrant violation" of international law and has "no legal validity". It demands that Israel stop such activity and fulfill its obligations as an occupying power under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES‑10/19 is an emergency session resolution declaring the status of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as "null and void". It was adopted by the 37th Plenary meeting of the tenth emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly during the tenure of the seventy-second session of the United Nations General Assembly on 21 December 2017. The resolution was drafted by Yemen and Turkey. Though strongly contested by the United States, it passed by 128 votes to 9 against with 21 absentees and 35 abstentions.
Palestine–Spain relations are the bilateral and diplomatic relations between these two countries. Palestine has an embassy in Madrid. Spain has a consulate general in East Jerusalem that serves the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem. Spain recognised the state of Palestine on 28 May 2024.
Australia–Palestine relations refer to foreign relations between Australia and the State of Palestine. Australia does not recognise the State of Palestine but does support a two state solution.
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