Hawke would cut troops

Press, 9 February 1983, Page 1

Hawke would cut troops

NZPA Canberra The new Australian Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bob Hawke, yesterday committed a Labour government to withdraw Australia’s troops from the multinational peace-keeping force in the Sinai.

His pledge and a defence of his policies on Israel usher in the first big foreign affairs debate so far in the election campaign. Mr Hawke would not specify when the troops would be withdrawn if he took office, but said he would go “straight into action” and sort out priorities.

The peace-keeping force is made up of servicemen from 10 counties, including New Zealand.

His outline of the A.L.P.’s Middle-East policies follows up statements by the Minister of Defence, Mr lan Sinclair. that Mr Hawke "overzealously supports the Israeli cause." Sinclair claimed Mr’ Hawke’s stance could . prejudice Australia’s national interests.

At a press conference yesterday, Mr Hawke claimed that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Anthony Street, had apologised for Mr Sinclair’s remarks.

Mr Hawke said his policy and that of his party was that if there was to be peace in the Middle East the right of Israel to exist behind secure borders must be recognised and there must be recognition of the rights of the Palestinian people. Withdrawal of the Sinai troops was’an A.L.P. commitment at the party’s national conference in July.

Mr Hawke said that not many people in Australia had his experience in and dealings with the MiddleEast. He said that he had held lengthy discussions with the President of Egypt, Mr Mubarak, been a guest of the Jordanian Government and enjoyed a close relationship with the Israeli Government. However. Mr Street denied claims that he had apologised over Mr Sinclair’s remarks.

’Mr Street said that the Jewish community and the People of Israel knew that on the vital issue of the Sinai peace-keeping force and its importance to peace between Israel and Egypt, Mr Hawke had refused to support the position of either Israel or Egypt.

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