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Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion KC said:

“The Foreign Minister’s speech is not the way to treat a friend and ally of Australia, such as Israel.

“All reasonable people want to end the cycle of violence and see Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace. However, our Government must be clear-eyed about why peace has remained elusive all these years and the steps necessary to finally achieving it.

“Israel has unilaterally withdrawn from territory and advanced proposals for two-state solutions since 1937. All Israel’s offers have been rejected. Israel is not the obstacle to peace.

“The state of war exists because of the Iranian-backed jihadists that rule the Palestinians in Gaza and the ineptitude, corruption and generational glorification of violence in the West Bank. The reason the current Israeli government is less than enthusiastic about a two-state solution is because they have never believed the Palestinians are serious about living in peace and coexistence. October 7 proved they were right.”