Foreign Minister Bill Hayden of Australia urged President Yitzhak Shamir to impose a freeze on settlement activity in the administered territories and suggested that Israel recognize the right of Palestinians to self-determination. He said he was expressing the unanimous view of the Australian Cabinet that the settlements were unjustified under international law.
Hayden, who left today for Damascus after a five-day visit to Israel, part of a general tour of Middle East countries, yesteiday conferred at length with Shamir on Mideast issues, particularly Lebanon, Syria, and the Iran-Iraq war. They also discussed the future of the 100-member Australian contingent with the multinational force in Sinai which monitors compliance with the terms of the 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.
Before leaving Israel, Hayden told a press conference in Jerusalem that the Sinai multinational force has enhanced stability in the region. The mandate of the Australian contingent ends on March 31 and Hayden stressed that its renewal was up to the Australian Cabinet. He also said that his talks with Shamir had been productive and differences of opinion had narrowed on the issues of West Bank settlements and self-determination for Palestinians.
Hoyden’s Labor Party had promised in its election campaign to “bring the boys home. ” But Shamir emphasized to his guest that the multinational force in Sinai was more important than ever in view of the “cold peace” between Israel and Egypt. He urged that Australia keep its observers in Sinai. The Egyptian government mode a similar request when Hayden was in Cairo last week.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
