Foreign Minister Julie Bishop Distances Australia From Global Statement on Israel-Palestine Peace

"Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has distanced the Turnbull government from a communique agreed by ministers and diplomats of 70 nations, including Australia, concerning the pathways to peace between Israel and the Palestinians...

The communique specifically welcomed resolution 2334, passed by the UN Security Council last month, which declared the settlements violated international law and called on Israel to immediately cease all settlement activity.

Following the conference, Ms Bishop distanced the Australian government from the contents of the concluding statement, insisting the government did not necessarily agree with everything its diplomats had agreed to in Paris.

'Australia was represented at the conference by diplomatic officials from the Australian embassy in Paris,' Ms Bishop told Fairfax Media.

'While the Australian government was represented at the Paris conference this does not mean we agree with every element of the final statement.'

Without specifically mentioning the conference's endorsement of resolution 2334, Ms Bishop noted the Coalition did not support 'one-sided resolutions targeting Israel'...

Australia became one of the few countries other than Israel to condemn the New Zealand-sponsored resolution 2334, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull labelling it 'one-sided' and 'deeply unsettling'..."