Morrison plays smart hand on Iran and Israel

Prime Minister Scott Morrison during Question Time yesterday.

All the moves that Scott Morrison will announce today on Israel, Iran and the Middle East are good, bold, measured and responsible.

Australia should seldom if ever take refuge in abstaining from anti-Israel resolutions at the UN. If we think the resolution is bad, as they mostly are, then we should have the courage of our convictions to vote no rather than taking refuge in the coward’s castle of abstention.

Similarly, the Morrison government is absolutely right to undertake a root-and-branch review of Australian policy towards Iran. The default position has been just to go along with Barack Obama’s deal that relieved sanctions on Iran in exchange for some restraints on the Iranian nuclear program.

This was always a crummy deal. Even if it is complied with, it leads directly to Iran as a nuclear weapons-capable state just a few years down the track.

Morrison’s policy is not going to be US policy, or the old default policy.

Instead, the government will undertake a full review of whether the deal actually prevents Iran from acquiring nukes. But this review will also examine all the related issues. Are the proceeds of the deal being used by Iran to produce other destabilising weapons and to support the export of terrorism?

No one can sensibly object to this review. It is absolutely right that the government examines these issues in the light of all the fresh evidence, allegations and patterns of behaviour, and come to a fresh, facts-based decision.

Similarly, Morrison has decided to take on board the recommended approach of his candidate for Wentworth, Dave Sharma, the former Australian ambassador to Israel.

Sharma believes that an eventual recognition by Australia of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel could support the proposed two-state solution.

The government remains completely committed to the two-state solution. However, as Sharma argues, this is not remotely compromised by affirming existing Australian recognition of Israeli sovereignty over West Jerusalem.

One of the things that has bedevilled the Israel/Palestine dispute is that too many actors in the global community have accepted a kind of paralysis. Moves that to some extent force both sides to deal with realities they don’t like are good.

Morrison is not announcing that he is committed to moving the embassy, rather that he is going to give the matter serious, policy consideration.

This is the right way to undertake such potentially serious moves.