BICOM

Israel’s Prime Minister met the Australian Prime Minister and other senior leaders during an official four day visit.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is the first serving Israeli head of government ever to visit Australia, met Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and 11 Government Ministers.

Netanyahu told Turnbull that bilateral trade “should double or triple. I encourage Israeli and Australian companies to boost trade”. Netanyahu and Turnbull signed a number of bilateral treaties and agreements to foster joint research and development.

Turning his attention to security, Netanyahu said: “We are working together with you, as with other countries that share similar values, in order to prevent the terrorist attacks that threaten our countries.”

Netanyahu spoke out against the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which “allows no bombs today, but a hundred bombs a decade from now”.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu and his wife Sara visited Jewish community institutions in Sydney. He emphasised the shared values of Israel and Australia, saying that both are “vibrant democracies” but that “democracy has to be nourished, it has to be protected; it has to be maintained”.

Netanyahu and Turnbull attended an event for 500 Australian and Israeli entrepreneurs . Netanyahu praised the “extraordinary friendship” between the two countries and outlined Israel’s growing relations and trade ties in Asia, Africa and Latin America. He said trade progress was due to “two main things that Israel can deliver,” namely “security and intelligence capabilities” and technology as the “innovation nation”.

In a joint statement yesterday, Netanyahu and Turnbull said that Australia reaffirmed its “steadfast opposition to attempts to undermine Israel’s legitimacy. Israel thanked Australia for its consistent support. Both countries restated their support for a directly negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinians”.