AUSTRALIA’S unwavering, demonstrable support for Israel may be jeopardised if Labor wins the upcoming Federal Election, Treasurer Peter Costello has warned.
In an in-depth interview with the AJN, Costello cautioned that if the ALP wins government, pressure from left-wing unions and unsympathetic Labor backbenchers may damage the country’s political, cultural and economic ties with the Jewish State.
“At national level there is support for Israel on both sides of parliament, however, I think that Labor’s support is not as strong as the Coalition’s,” Costello said.
“They [voters] know that the Labor Party is much more susceptible to influences from the left and they also know that many of the unions that comprise the Labor Party are quite hostile to the Jewish community.”
He singled out Julia Irwin, a Labor backbencher who in the past has shown sympathy for the Palestinians, as one element of the Labor Party “that is not sympathetic to Israel”.
Costello said that in 1982, Labor was responsible for granting permanent residency to outspoken Islamic leader Sheikh Tajeddin al-Hilaly, despite having received information that he had divided the local Muslim community and was unwilling to integrate. Sheikh Hilaly was allowed to stay and caused furore during his term as the self-appointed grand mufti of Australia, a position he held until earlier this year.
The treasurer pledged that the Liberal Party would continue its strong support of Israel, regardless of any criticism it might receive over its stance on the Middle East.
“Australia is very supportive of Israel’s application to get into the OECD, the group of developed economies in the world,” he said.
Australia and Israel are both engaged, to differing degrees, in a battle against Islamist terrorism, and this is another tie that binds the two countries, he said.
“We have common aims to protect and defend ourselves against Islamist terrorism and I think we can cooperate in that regard.”
But the keeper of the country’s purse was hesitant to push for a free-trade agreement between Australia and Israel.
He said that there are no real trade barriers between the two countries at the moment. Instead, increasing Australian foreign investment in Israeli technology is the most urgent economic task.
“I’ve met numbers of Israelis who come out here with bio-tech or high-tech patents who are looking for investment and I think they will find Australia quite a fertile field in that regard.”
On domestic election promises, Costello said the government’s planned introduction of a tax-deductibility scheme for donations towards Jewish security offers a long-term solution that Labor’s $20-million funding pledge cannot guarantee.
“[Our scheme] is not capped, it is not like a grant program that has to be renewed year by year through the budget process.
“Tax deductibility could be worth $100 million, but it depends how much you are willing to put into it. It is much better than $20 million. Take it from me, if you are ever offered tax deductibility or a grant, take the tax deductibility.”