Like most people across the world, not least our friends in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Australia aspires to see a future Palestinian state existing alongside Israel in peace and security. We are strong backers of a two-state solution and we firmly support all initiatives that contribute constructively to this end.
Australia approaches this challenge as a good friend of both the Israeli and the Palestinian people.
Australia is proud of the close bonds between Israel and Australia and our unwavering support for Israel's right to exist in peace and security. When in 1949 the UN was called on to consider Israel's membership as a member state, Australia cast its vote in support. And when Israel has faced its darkest hours, Australia has stood by it and its right to defend itself.
We are also great friends of the Palestinian people. In 1947, when considering the Palestinian question, Australia was the first country to vote in support of the establishment of a Jewish and an Arab state. Today, our commitment to the establishment of a state for the Palestinian people is firm, as is our support for the fundamental right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.
Under the stewardship of President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian people have made great strides towards their ultimate goal and their achievements should be acknowledged. Australia has provided concrete support for these efforts, through humanitarian support, contributions to the UN and non-governmental organisations working in the region, and direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority. Australia and the Palestinian Authority finalised a five-year partnership agreement recently under which Australia will provide up to $120 million in support across the next five years.
As is well known, efforts to reach a peace between the Israeli and Palestinian people face significant challenges and progress has been halting for many years. Many sincere and determined efforts to break the impasse have not succeeded and the sense of stalemate has led many to look for alternative answers.
Ultimately, however, the only durable basis for resolution of this conflict is negotiation. However hard it may be, it is only through negotiation between the two sides that final status issues such as borders, security and Jerusalem can be solved.
Australia understands the sense of frustration the impasse in peace talks has brought and we understand the strong desire of Palestinians to have their own state. If a Palestinian statehood resolution is introduced to the General Assembly we will consider it carefully and will consult widely before making our decision on how we will vote. But no UN resolution will change present realities on the ground. That is why we believe direct negotiation is the only true path to peace.
And that is why I have just written to President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge them to return to direct negotiations.
I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Dennis Ross, Catherine Ashton and UN, EU, US and Russia quartet envoy Tony Blair in attempting to create common ground for a return to talks. Australia supports all efforts to bring the parties back to the negotiating table.
The path ahead will be difficult and progress will require courage, sacrifice and mutual compromise. As change comes elsewhere to the region, the Israeli and Palestinian people - for too long living in uncertainty and insecurity - deserve nothing less than that.
Julia Gillard is Prime Minister of Australia.
