Anthony Albanese accuses Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu of being 'in denial'
A day after announcing Australia's planned recognition of a Palestinian state, Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said frustration with the Israeli government had contributed to his government's decision to make the move at the United Nations meeting in September after more than seven decades.
In a call with Mr Netanyahu on Thursday, during which Mr Albanese discussed Australia's plans to follow in the footsteps of France, the United Kingdom and Canada in recognising Palestinian statehood, he said his counterpart had made the same argument as a year earlier.
"That if we just have more military action in Gaza, somehow that will produce a different outcome," Mr Albanese said.
"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."
The Israeli prime minister has been scathing of the handful of Western countries' pledges to recognise a Palestinian state. In comments made before Mr Albanese publicly revealed his plans, Mr Netanyahu name checked Australia, calling the move "shameful".
"To have European countries and Australia march into that rabbit hole, just like that, fall right into it and buy this canard is disappointing, and I think it's actually shameful," he said in a rare media conference for foreign press.
"It's not going to change our position. Again, we will not commit national suicide to get a good op-ed for two minutes."
Mr Albanese on Monday said Australia's position was developed as part of a "coordinated global effort" to build momentum towards a two-state solution.
Two weeks earlier, however, in the days after France became the first G7 nation to pledge to recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations meeting in September, Mr Albanese said Australia would not be making a similar declaration "imminently".
Pressed on Tuesday about when that changed and a decision was made, Mr Albanese cited the announcements from other like-minded nations and commitments from the Palestinian Authority, as well as Mr Netanyahu's comments, which he said were in response to the conversation they had days earlier.
"I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu last week and indicated to him the direction that Australia was headed," he said.
"Prime Minister Netanyahu, before yesterday's statement … before our Cabinet met, made comments based upon the discussion I'd had with him."
The plan to recognise a Palestinian state in September marks a break in Australia's long-held bipartisan approach to the Middle East, with the Coalition firmly rejecting any move to recognise before the hostages taken by Hamas are released and a peace process is finalised.
Foreign affairs spokesperson Michaelia Cash on Tuesday slammed the decision, questioning whether it could even be done.
"What state is he recognising as a state? You don't actually recognise a new state until that state exists," she told the ABC.
"He's now committed Australia to recognising as a state an entity with no agreed borders, no single government in effective control of its territory. You've got to be honest … what does that even mean?"
In a separate interview, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the government's announcement disrespects the United States because "any peace that happens in this region will be brokered by the US" and "the prospects of a ceasefire are not good with this decision".
"The prime minister has so many questions to answer on this … and I don't know that he's actually addressing them at all," she said.
"He has said that recognition of Palestine is conditional, but he actually refuses to say what will happen if the conditions that he sets out for recognition are not met."
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