Anthony Albanese says Benjamin Netanyahu is ‘in denial’
Defence affairs - Def-Geopolitics
Benjamin Netanyahu is “in denial” over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Anthony Albanese claimed after a phone call with the Israeli leader, saying frustration with Israel’s military campaign in the besieged territory was part of Australia’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state.
The prime minister’s escalating public criticism of Israel comes as the French president, Emmanuel Macron, overnight welcomed Australia’s commitment to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN general assembly in September.
“I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu. He, again, reiterated to me what he has said publicly as well – which is to be in denial about the consequences that are occurring for innocent people,” Albanese told ABC TV.
Albanese yesterday said Australia’s pledge to recognise a Palestinian state was “predicated” on conditions agreed to by the Palestinian Authority, which included no role for terror group Hamas in a future government. The prime minister said the international community could block Hamas from standing in future elections in Palestine, but refused to say whether Australia would revoke its plans to recognise if such conditions were not met.
“You can [stop Hamas from standing in elections] if you have the Arab states in the Middle East all speaking as one, as well as the Palestinian Authority, as well as the international community. Yes, you can,” he told Nine.
In a press conference, Albanese went on to say that violence in the region, including Israel’s planned military occupation of Gaza City, “just cannot continue into the future without an end point”.
“The international community is coming up with an end point, which is, how do we resolve this? How do we get a permanent security position?” he said.
Macron, who declared in July that France would recognise Palestinian statehood at the General Assembly, said Australia was “joining the momentum” of a global push toward resolving the crisis in Gaza.
“This reflects our commitment to the two-state solution and to the need to collectively rebuild a political pathway, without which there can be no peace and security for all,” he wrote.
There are a raft of unanswered questions including how the Palestinian state would be formed, how it would be demilitarised and where Australia would establish an embassy. Albanese and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, shrugged off repeated questions in media interviews on Monday and Tuesday about how Australia would respond if the Palestinian Authority’s commitments were not met, or if they would reverse their recognition pledge.
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