ISS 13 Making Australian Foreign Policy on Israel-Palestine

Media Coverage, Public Opinion and Interest Groups

Eulalia Han, Halim Rane

• Publisher: MUP Academic Digital
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9780522862478
• eBook ISBN: 9780522862485
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Based on extensive research of Australian media coverage, public opinion, interest groups as well as in-depth interviews with current and former diplomats and politicians, this book provides a unique insight into the policy making process in regards to one of the world's most enduring and volatile dilemmas.
Making Australian Foreign Policy on Israel-Palestine is a must read for anyone concerned about how social forces influence policy making and the impact this has on Australia's response to world affairs.

Making Australian Foreign Policy
on Israel-Palestine:

Media Coverage, Public Opinion and
Interest Groups

Eulalia Han and Halim Rane

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Australia’s Place in the World

Australia’s Self-Perception

Making Foreign Policy

Mass Media, Public Opinion, Interest Groups and Foreign Policy Making

Chapter Structure

Australian Foreign Policy on the Israel-Palestine Conflict

Australia and the Partition of Palestine (1947–1949)

Australia and the Arab-Israeli Wars (1950–1975)

Australia and the Peace Process (1975–1996)

Israel-Palestine Policy in the Howard Era (1996–2007)

Current Australian Policy on Israel-Palestine (2007–Present)

Media Coverage

Media and Society

Media and Foreign Policy

Content Analysis

Approach and Methodology

The Israel-Palestine Conflict

Historical Context and Origins of the Conflict

International Law

Final Status Issues

Impact on Australian Foreign Policy

Public Opinion

Public Opinion and Foreign Policy

National Survey

Findings

Impact on Australian Foreign Policy

Notes

Interest Groups

Lobby Groups and Foreign Policy

Australia’s Israel and Palestine Lobby Groups

Impact on Australian Foreign Policy

Conclusion

Appendix A:
Survey on the Israel-Palestine Conflict

Appendix B:
Australian Governments and the Israel-Palestine Conflict

Appendix C:
General Assembly Resolution 67/19 on the Status of Palestine in the United Nations and Official Correspondence between the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations on Recognition of the State of Palestine

References

Index

Preface

This book examines Australia’s foreign policy on the Israel-Palestine conflict. A book on this issue may seem unnecessary to some given the relatively minor role Australia plays in the Middle East, especially when compared to the role of the United States (US) or the European Union (EU). However, there are multiple factors, historical and contemporary, that warrant this study, which constitute the focus of this book. Historically, Australia was instrumental in the United Nations (UN) resolution on the partition of Palestine and the subsequent establishment of Israel. Each decade since, the Israel-Palestine conflict has become more intractable, culminating in a conflict of competing narratives and norms, based on Israeli claims of self-defence versus Palestinian demands for self-determination. Foreign policy involves finding a balance between national interests and values as well as between being pragmatic and principled.

Australia is in a unique position as a Western nation that shares the Asia-Pacific region with the world’s most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia. Australia is also a middle power that sees itself as capable of contributing positively to world affairs. In this respect, Australia actively supported self-determination in South Africa, East Timor and Kosovo but has not in the case of Palestine. Instead, Australian foreign policy has tended to align itself with the US and the interests of Israel as far as the Israel-Palestine conflict is concerned. Australia’s alliance with the US in this regard has not only put Australia at odds with the Arab and Muslim world but has involved the country in the regrettable Gulf War of the 1990s and the War on Terror over the past decade.

The Israel-Palestine conflict is a central factor in Islam-West relations. For decades, this conflict has been seen by Muslims as a microcosm of the unequal relations between the Muslim world and the West. The foreign policies of Western nations, particularly the US, have been judged by Muslims largely on account of their response to the question of Palestine. Muslim grievances with Western support for Israel and the suffering of the Palestinians have been a driver of Islamic extremism. Since the turn of the century, the battle against Islamic extremism has defined relations between the Muslim world and the West. Within this context, a resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict remains a priority for the international community and especially the UN. For Australia in particular, the Government’s position on the Israel-Palestine conflict puts it at odds with not only its Muslim neighbours and the Muslim world more broadly but also Australia’s reputation as a nation that champions human rights and respects international law.

The focus of this book is the extent to which domestic factors influence Australia’s foreign policy on the Israel-Palestine conflict. These domestic factors, which include the mass media, public opinion and interest groups, are analysed using a multi-method approach. The content of almost 10,000 articles concerning the conflict published in two of Australia’s leading newspapers over an 11-year period was analysed. A national survey was conducted in order to understand Australian public opinion on the conflict. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted with pro-Israel and pro-Palestine lobbyists. The findings of these various studies were then further examined in relation to in-depth interviews conducted with current and former diplomats and politicians from both major political parties in order to identify their potential to influence foreign policy.

New communications technology, particularly social media, has ensured that the decisions made by governments are scrutinised by their own people and others. This technology has also enabled global communities to mobilise and the Israel-Palestine conflict remains an issue that evokes impassioned responses from people across the globe. Israel-Palestine is certainly not the most important issue in Australian foreign policy. However, understanding the process of how foreign policy on this issue is made and its implications for Australia are important. It is our intention that this book will provide its readers with a more informed insight into the making of Australia’s foreign policy on the Israel-Palestine conflict. With this knowledge, it is our hope that a constructive debate might take place with a view to ensuring that Australia’s policy on this central issue of Islam-West relations is based on Australia’s broader national interests as well as responsibilities towards supporting human rights and international peace and security.

Eulalia Han and Halim Rane

January 2013

Introduction

In many respects, Australia is far removed from the Israel-Palestine conflict due to its geographical distance from the Middle East. However, Australia played a central role in the establishment of the State of Israel and has since been involved in the international debate over a resolution of the conflict. For over 60 years, successive Australian governments have remained engaged in the issue and have articulated policies that have evolved in response to changing conditions and realities. Moreover, Australia’s close alignment with the United States (US) since World War II has resulted in Australia’s direct involvement in wars and conflicts in the Middle East, including the 1990s Gulf War and the War on Terror since the turn of the century. Such events have brought the implications of the Israel- Palestine conflict closer to home. This conflict is not an issue confined to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It is an issue that is important to Muslims across the globe, including those in Australia1 as well as Australia’s closest Muslim neighbour and the world’s most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia.2

The Israel-Palestine conflict remains a major issue in international relations and continues to be the central factor in Islam-West relations. A recent poll of various Arab countries asked what two steps by the US would improve their opinion of the US. A majority of 55 per cent said an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement and 42 per cent said stopping aid to Israel. These responses came well ahead of “withdrawal from Arabian Peninsula” (29 per cent), “withdrawal from Iraq” (26 per cent), “more economic aid to the region” (12 per cent), and “pushing more to spread democracy” (1...

Table of contents

• Making Australian Foreign Policy on Israel-Palestine: