In an effort to advance peace efforts, Australia’s foreign minister has proposed that the nation recognize Palestinian statehood.
Penny Wong stated that Hamas could not, however, have a part in its governance.
Such a move, according to Australia’s opposition and the Zionist Federation of Australia, would be premature.
Canberra has maintained for a long time that a two-state solution mediated with Israel is the only way that the Palestinian nation might be recognized.
But, Ms. Wong’s remarks are similar to one made earlier this year by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who implied that the UK would recognize Palestinian statehood independently of Israel.
After an Australian humanitarian worker and six other people were murdered in an Israeli airstrike, the Australian government has become more vocal in its worries regarding the conflict against Hamas in Gaza. The IDF claims that the relief workers were mistakenly identified as Hamas agents and killed while they were traveling in a convoy following their supply pickup.
A two-state solution, in which Israelis and Palestinians coexist in different nations, is “the only hope to halt the ongoing cycle of violence,” according to Ms. Wong, who made this statement at a speech on Tuesday night.
“There is a great deal of aggravation due to the decades-long failures of this method by all parties and the Netanyahu government’s inability to even discuss the issue of a Palestinian state,” the speaker stated.
“So the international community is now considering the question of Palestinian statehood as a way of building momentum towards a two-state solution.”
Simon Birmingham, the foreign affairs spokesman for the opposition, stated that the government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was threatening to “break decades of bipartisan Australian foreign policy” and that the opposition did not support such a move.
“The justification put forth by the Albanese government to recognize a Palestinian state ahead of time prioritizes statehood over security and will be interpreted as a victory by the terrorists who started this horrifying conflict,” the statement read.
Any discussion about the acceptance of Palestinian statehood, according to Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler, is “completely premature.”
He declared, “Hamas must be destroyed and a new generation of Palestinian leaders must arise, one that isn’t corrupt, doesn’t support violence, and recognizes Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state before any notion of statehood is realistic.”
Ms. Wong refuted assertions that acknowledging a state in Palestine would amount to “rewarding the enemy.” She stated that a two-state solution is necessary for Israel’s security and that acknowledging Israel’s independence would help weaken and isolate Hamas.
While almost 140 nations acknowledge Palestinian statehood, many do not, including the US, UK, Germany, and Australia.
This week, the UN is scheduled to discuss giving Palestine, an “observer state” at the moment, full membership in the international organization.
Around 33,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s assault in Gaza, which was a reaction to an attack launched by Hamas on October 7 that claimed the lives of approximately 1,200 people and left over 250 hostages. The health ministry of Hamas is in charge of the conflict. The region is mostly ruined, and numerous other Palestinians have been left on the brink of famine.
Weeks of talks have failed to produce an agreement, but international pressure is growing.
(BBC)
