UN General Assembly
2011

friend of the Palestinian people, we believe that the time has come for direct negotiations to establish a Palestinian State, one which also guarantees the security of Israel. If we fail to achieve this, I fear the gravity of the consequences as the ground continues to change across the wider Middle East. I note also that these views have been reflected today by the former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Australia therefore urges both parties to seize the day and to shape the future of a new Middle East. We await the outcome from the weeks that lie ahead in New York, before framing our response to any particular resolution before the United Nations. Terrorism is the enemy of all civilized peoples. A decade since 9/11, terrorism still casts a deep shadow over the security and safety of our citizens. Many of Australia’s finest have lost their lives in the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan. Australia will stay the course in Afghanistan, because we refuse to yield to terrorism. While terrorism threatens thousands, nuclear proliferation threatens millions. Australia remains