Howard: I've always admired Israel's fortitude

Well, it's a support based on merit. I've always admired Israel's extraordinary fortitude and resilience in being able to survive the constant attacks and the determination still of many countries to destroy it.

Like anybody of my generation, I was very conscious of the Holocaust and the appalling treatment of the Jewish people by the Nazis and anybody of my age certainly can't not be influenced by that.

But the essential justice of the cause of Israel's survival has always been quite manifest as far as I'm concerned. It's not a blink position; I regard myself as a close friend of Israel, but not somebody who is universally uncritical.

I do believe very strongly in the two-state solution. We must have that and it's the only hope in my opinion of a lasting settlement in the Middle East and would play a part in tempering the attitudes of Islamic extremists around the world.

So you think the solution of the Middle East conflict is an important part of defeating global terrorism?

What it would do is it would remove an argument, a recruiting weapon.

There has recently been talk of the establishment of a Palestinian unity government between Hamas and Fatah.

Well, I think anything that is likely to temper Hamas is good.

Would you support Israel negotiating with Hamas?

I would support, always support, Israel negotiating with the government of the Palestinian territories if there is evidence of goodwill on the part of the Palestinian leadership to reach a settlement. It is very difficult to expect Israel to negotiate with Hamas, I understand that. If you get a unity government, I think that it's a step in the right direction.

Would Australia consider changing its policy against Hamas?

I would want to see what the outcome of these discussions are before I talk about changing policy.

July has been the highest month on record of anti-Semitic incidents in Australia, undoubtedly as a result of the Israel/Hizbullah conflict. What do you think about the war washing up on these shores?

Any manifestation of attacks based on religious identification disturbs me whether it's Jews, Muslims or Hindus. It doesn't matter who it is, I'm against it because it's not the way we do things in this country and I condemn it.

You came out quite strongly in support of Israel during the conflict with Hizbullah. In hindsight, do you think Israel achieved a positive outcome?

Well, that is ultimately a matter for Israel. My raison d'etre is not to be a commentator on Israeli politics. I look at these things from the point of view of Australia's foreign policy interests.

The question of whether Israel achieved all her military objectives is an assessment that has got to be made by the people of Israel. Israel is a separate independent foreign country and those things have to be dealt with within the cauldron of Israeli politics.

My support for Israel's right to retaliate was based on the obvious fact that the conflict was started by the capture of the soldiers and the incursion by Hizbullah across the border. Now that's how it started.

Critics of Israel say its response was, at times, disproportionate. Do you agree?

I think that whenever you get a conflict, this idea that you can somehow or other calibrate the response is a bit unrealistic.

Sadly it's the nature of military conflict. We get into a situation where if we retaliate more strongly than the other side, the strength of the retaliation determines the morality of the response: it's a very odd way of arguing. Nobody wants anybody to die in a military conflict whether it's soldiers or civilians. It seems to be a rather critical separation of the two. I don't want to see soldiers killed either.

Do you have any plans to travel to Israel in the near future?

Not at the moment and my travel plans tend not to be telegraphed in advance. I don't normally talk much in advance about where I'm going.

Have you had any recent communication with Ehud Olmert?

I met Olmert when he came to Australia as mayor of Jerusalem, and I have spoken to him on the phone several times; he knows Australia well and has very close links to Australia.

Gedaliah Afterman contributes to the report

Reprinted with permission of Australian Jewish News