In September 2015 the AJDS wrote a petition to end Palestinian house demolitions in Susiya and the West Bank. Read about and sign our petition here. In response to our request that the Australian government act to stop this injustice, Julie Bishop wrote to the AJDS on November 18:
…Thank you for your letter of October 2015, attaching a petition from concerned Australians regarding developments in East Jerusalem and Susiya.
Australia continues to urge Israel to reconsider demolition orders in relation to the Palestinian structures at Susiya. The Australian Representative Office in Ramallah closely monitors proposed demolitions in the West Bank. The Australian Representative visited Bedouin communities in the Khan Al-Amar area in March this year, and regularly visits Susiya as part of routine monitoring of the Australian aid program to the Palestinian Territories.
The Australian Government remains committed to a negotiated two-state solution, with Israel and a Palestinian state existing side-by-side in peace and security, within internationally recognised borders.
I trust this information is of assistance.
It appears as though the conservative government may hold a slightly more progressive view of Israel/Palestine than most representative Jewish bodies in Australia. Meanwhile, expressions of solidarity continue to assist those left homeless by Israel’s house demolition policy, which you can read about here.
