Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed “shameful” Australia amid a growing likelihood of recognising a Palestinian state.
Australia appeared to be gearing up to follow several major Western powers at a United Nations meeting in September, a top international law expert said.
Netanyahu on Sunday (local time) lashed out at countries for taking a position that he said would prolong war.
“Today, most of the Jewish public is against the Palestinian state for the simple reason that they know it won’t bring peace, it will bring war,” he said.
“To have European countries and Australia march into that rabbit hole … is disappointing, and I think it’s actually shameful.”
“But it’s not going to…change our position. We will not commit national suicide to get a good op-ed for two minutes. We won’t do that.”
The United Nations Security Council condemned the plan on Sunday (local time).
The move also drew a chorus of condemnation within Israel, where thousands of people protested in Tel Aviv — and abroad — on Saturday calling for an immediate ceasefire and release of hostages held by militant group Hamas.
G7 nations France, Britain and Canada have committed to recognising Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September amid growing pressure for Israel to end the war in Gaza.
Australia looks set to join them after a significant shift in rhetoric in recent weeks, Australian National University professor Donald Rothwell said.
“Everything at the moment is pointing towards Australia positioning itself to make an announcement of the recognition of Palestine by the time of the [meeting],” he said.
The Albanese government had been “softening” its position on recognising Palestine in the past two weeks, Rothwell said.
“The Prime Minister is also actually going to the United Nations General Assembly and it’s a very long time since the Australian prime minister has gone there,” he said.
“I’m sure that the Prime Minister is going there wanting to make an announcement of some significance and this will clearly be a significant announcement.”
Rothwell also pointed to Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s recent stark comments about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and Israel’s plan to occupy the territory.
“The two-state solution is really just slipping away as a result of Israel’s campaign, and Australia doesn’t want to lose that opportunity,” he said.
In a joint statement with several other nations on Saturday, Wong said the countries were committed to implementing a two-state solution to ensure peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people.
“A political resolution based on a negotiated two-state solution requires the total demilitarisation of Hamas and its complete exclusion from any form of governance in the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian Authority must have a central role,” it said.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke appeared on Sunday to soften the government’s stance on the future role of Hamas, a listed terrorist organisation in Australia, in a Palestinian state.
He noted terrorist forces had occupied other countries that Australia continued to recognise, citing Syria and Iraq as examples.
Rothwell said Syria and Iraq were different from Palestine because Australia had recognised them long before ISIS emerged and took control of large parts.
“The minister is making the point … at some point in time, Hamas might play a role in that Palestinian state but that would not see Australia revisit its recognition,” he said.
Burke might also have been signalling further nuance in Australia’s developing position — that it might be prepared to move towards recognition of Palestine while Hamas continued to have a role in Gaza, Rothwell said.
-with AAP
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