Netanyahu Meets With Australian Foreign Minister, Accepts Invitation

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday in Yerushalayim.

Bishop invited Netanyahu to become the first sitting Israeli Prime Minister to visit the country. “I want to take this opportunity to reaffirm our absolute enduring commitment to the State of Israel and our friendship, and invite you to come to Australia. And we’re thinking there’s a little window of opportunity early next year maybe? And the Australian public would warmly embrace you, welcome you and we would look forward to the first visit of an Israeli prime minister ever to Australia.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu accepted the invitation, saying “I just want to greet you and say that your friendship is terrific – Australia, the government’s and yours personally. And we appreciate our friends.”

Earlier in the day, Bishop met with President Reuven Rivlin, Defense Minister and visited Yad Vashem.

A scheduled visit by Rivlin to Australia in February was cancelled in order for him to instead hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Rivlin apologized for the cancellation and said he would be happy to visit Australia soon, but did not specify a date.