Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop met with senior Israeli leaders at the start of a two day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories. The Australian top diplomat’s visit to Israel is aimed at promoting bilateral cooperation, the development of a treaty on innovation, including a landing pad in Tel Aviv, and to discuss regional security and the Middle East peace process.
“This is an opportunity for me to ensure that this relationship is not taken for granted. This relationship will continue to be nurtured by sides and it will continue to flourish. We have a friendship based on common values.” / “I also think our relationship has the potential to enter into new fields of endeavor, particularly in innovation where Israel is a world leader. We are delighted that our new innovation agenda adopted by the Australian government, and embraced by the Australian people through the last election will see a landing pad in Tel Aviv, which I’ll visit tomorrow which shows that Australia has much to learn from Israel in the area of science, research and innovation; but we have much to learn from each other,” said the Foreign Minister.
While reaffirming Australia’s “absolute enduring commitment to the State of Israel,” Bishop took the opportunity to invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Australia next year, in what would be the first official visit by an acting Israeli Prime Minister to the continent in history.
“I just want to greet you and say that your friendship is terrific – Australia, the government’s and yours personally. And we appreciate our friends,” said Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister. “I want to take this opportunity to reaffirm our absolute enduring commitment to the State of Israel and our friendship, and invite you to come to Australia. And we’re thinking there’s a little window of opportunity early next year maybe? And the Australian public would warmly embrace you, welcome you and we would look forward to the first visit of an Israeli Prime Minister ever to Australia,” continued Bishop.