John Lyons, Middle East correspondent
The Australian
June 27, 2009
DEPUTY Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday backed the Obama administration's call for a freeze on settlement activity by Jewish settlers on the Palestinian West Bank.
She also restated Australia's long-standing commitment to "a two-state solution with secure borders" to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Speaking at a news conference in Ramallah on the West Bank with the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Salam Fayyed, Ms Gillard said Australia supported a Palestinian state next to a secure Israel.
She backed the position of the Obama administration that Israel needed to freeze all new settlement activity as a prerequisite for lasting peace in the Middle East.
"The position of the Australian government has been quite clear," Ms Gillard said. "We have called for a freeze on settlement activity.
"Obviously President Obama has made a very significant speech, including making some very significant statements about settlement activity.
"We have talked today about these issues, and about the prospects for a further process for dialogue leading to a lasting peace."
Ms Gillard said Australia had expressed humanitarian concerns on behalf of the Palestinian people. She used the meeting to announce that Australia would be providing $10 million additional funding for assistance to the Palestinian Authority, particularly for health and education.
Ms Gillard said this aid "shows that we are concerned about the humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people. We do have concerns about humanitarian issues and we're acting on those concerns."
Asked what action should be taken if Israel did not halt settlements, she said: "I believe what President Obama is calling for and what the world is looking towards is to have a real dialogue that leads to progress.
"I think that there is a sense of urgency about that, and I think that sense of urgency was expressed by President Obama."
Asked whether Australia would accept the Hamas faction, which controls the Gaza Strip, having a role in any Palestinian government, she said: "Australia has made consistently clear that our view is that Hamas should accept the principles laid down by the (Middle East mediating) Quartet (the US, Russia, EU and UN) - in particular, and most significantly, it must renounce violence."
She said there was reason to believe there were people of good will on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict who wanted to see an acceleration of dialogue.
Ms Gillard has been in Israel for five days, during which time she has met the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman. Before visiting Ramallah, she visited the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, a 10-minute drive from Jerusalem. Bethlehem is separated from Jerusalem by the separation barrier, or wall."
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