Scott Morrison – www.israelhayom.com https://www.israelhayom.com israelhayom english website Sun, 29 Dec 2019 08:57:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 https://www.israelhayom.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/cropped-G_rTskDu_400x400-32x32.jpg Scott Morrison – www.israelhayom.com https://www.israelhayom.com 32 32 Australia asks Israel to return educator in Leifer case https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/10/23/australia-asks-israel-to-return-educator-in-sex-abuse-case/ https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/10/23/australia-asks-israel-to-return-educator-in-sex-abuse-case/#respond Wed, 23 Oct 2019 13:52:21 +0000 https://www.israelhayom.com/?p=427271 Australia's prime minister said on Wednesday he would raise with Israel's next administration the need for a quick resolution to a five-year extradition battle over an Israeli educator accused of child sex abuse in an Australian school. Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a statement after meeting at Parliament House with sisters Dassi Erlich and Nicole […]

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Australia's prime minister said on Wednesday he would raise with Israel's next administration the need for a quick resolution to a five-year extradition battle over an Israeli educator accused of child sex abuse in an Australian school.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a statement after meeting at Parliament House with sisters Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer, who were allegedly abused by Malka Leifer when she was principal of Melbourne's ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel School.

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The 52-year-old fled to Israel in 2008 after the allegations emerged.

"My government is strongly committed to ensuring that justice is served in the case of Malka Leifer," Morrison said. "We call for the matter to be resolved transparently and quickly."

"We also reaffirm our commitment to have Malka Leifer extradited to Australia to face 74 charges of child sexual abuse," Morrison added.

Erlich told reporters outside Parliament House that she and her sister wanted the government "to do more."

"Enough is enough. We don't want platitudes, we want action," Erlich said.

"This has taken a tremendous toll on both of our lives. Traveling back and forth, not seeing any results, the frustrations, knowing at some point she might get bail, it's had an emotional toll on our lives," Erlich said.

Meyer, her sister, said: "We're not just doing it for ourselves. We're trying to give a message to all survivors that even if you have been abused, life can go on; justice should be served."

Government lawmaker Dave Sharma, who was Australian ambassador to Israel in 2014 when the extradition request was made, and opposition lawmaker Josh Burns joined the sisters at a news conference to demonstrate that Australia's major political parties were united in a bid to bring Leifer to justice.

Sharma said that after more than 60 Israeli court hearings, "we seem to be no closer to having Malka Leifer extradited."

"We are here today to send a very clear message to Israel that this case is a high priority for Australia and it's one we will be ceaseless in pursuing and it's one that unless resolved soon will have an impact on the broader relationship," Sharma said.

Israel's Supreme Court last week upheld an appeal against a decision to release Leifer from jail to house arrest. Prosecutors argue she is feigning mental illness to dodge extradition.

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Australia says trade agreement with Indonesia on track despite Israel comments https://www.israelhayom.com/2018/10/18/australia-says-trade-agreement-with-indonesia-on-track-despite-israel-comments/ https://www.israelhayom.com/2018/10/18/australia-says-trade-agreement-with-indonesia-on-track-despite-israel-comments/#respond Wed, 17 Oct 2018 21:00:00 +0000 http://www.israelhayom.com/australia-says-trade-agreement-with-indonesia-on-track-despite-israel-comments/ Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday a multibillion-dollar free trade agreement with Indonesia will be signed this year, despite Indonesian concern over an Australian proposal to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. Morrison said on Tuesday he was open to Australia moving its mission from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as the United States […]

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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday a multibillion-dollar free trade agreement with Indonesia will be signed this year, despite Indonesian concern over an Australian proposal to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

Morrison said on Tuesday he was open to Australia moving its mission from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as the United States did in May to the delight of Israel but to the fury of Palestinians.

Morrison's willingness to reverse decades of foreign policy and follow the U.S. lead alienated many of Australia's Asian neighbors that have close alliances with Palestinians.

It also drew condemnation from 13 Arab ambassadors in Australia who called the suggestion regrettable and asked Morrison to reconsider or risk damaging Australian ties in the region.

Morrison, who faces a critical by-election on Saturday that will determine whether his government keeps its one-seat majority, said his government had been assured Indonesia would honor its commitment to the deal worth more than 16 billion Australian dollars ($11 billion).

"There's been direct communication between myself and the president as well as between our foreign ministers and with the trade ministers," Morrison told reporters in Canberra, referring to Indonesia's President Joko Widodo.

"The Indonesian trade minister has made it very clear on the public record that is not an issue of concern to them," he said.

Indonesia is the world's biggest Muslim-majority country, where the Palestinian question is a sensitive issue and tens of thousands protested against Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, speaking at a news conference with Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad Malki in Jakarta on Tuesday, called on Australia to avoid any step that would threaten efforts to forge peace in the Middle East.

The trade agreement, which has been in the works for nearly a decade, offers Australia a chance to boost rural exports, which dominates two-way trade.

Indonesia is a major importer of wheat and beef and bought more than AU$3 billion ($2 billion) of Australian agricultural commodities in 2017, according to government data.

Fiona Simson, president of Australia's National Farmers Federation, which represents the rural sector, cautioned Morrison against any move that would threaten exports.

The Council of Arab Ambassadors said in a statement issued on its behalf by Egypt's envoy to Australia, said it was very worrying that Morrison would entertain the idea of shifting Australia's embassy.

"Any decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital or to relocate the Australian embassy would legitimize the status quo and affirm Israel's claims to the entire city," it said.

While raising concern among rural voters worried about exports, Morrison's potential policy shift could help his government retain its one-seat parliamentary majority.

Voters in the Sydney electorate of Wentworth will decide on Saturday who will replace former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who quit politics after he was ousted in a party revolt in August.

Wentworth is home to a large Jewish community. Census figures show 12.5% of people in Wentworth are Jewish, a larger proportion than anywhere else in Australia.

The candidate contesting the by-election for Morrison's Liberal party, Dave Sharma, is a former ambassador to Israel who was credited with the idea to relocate the embassy.

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