7NEWS breaking news live blog: US slams Australia over Palestine call, allegedly drunk driver rolls truck
In an interview with ABC's 7.30, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said he discussed Australia's decision with Donald Trump and other members of the Trump administration, who expressed an 'enormous level of disappointment and some disgust'.
'I don't know that the president used that word, (but) I would say that is a characterisation of a sentiment,' he said.
'I think it does express the emotional sentiment, a sense of, 'You've got to be kidding ... why would they be doing this? And why would they be doing it now'.
'I think the timing has been very hurtful to any prospects of negotiating some settlement in Gaza with Hamas ... this is a gift to them, and it's unfortunate.'
On Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed the government will join France, the UK and Canada in recognising Palestine at a United Nations General Assembly meeting in September.
More than 140 of 193 UN member states already recognise Palestine, including European Union member states Spain and Ireland.
Huckabee said the US was blindsided by Albanese's announcement of recognising Palestinian statehood.
'As Israel's closest partner, we would've expected that there would've been some heads up. There wasn't. This was done unilaterally. That was a disappointment,' he said.
The US ambassador to Israel has labelled Australia's decision as disappointing and disgusting.
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The Age
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- The Age
Albanese plays down US ‘disgust' over Palestine recognition
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says there is disgust and disappointment in the Trump administration at the Albanese government's decision to recognise a Palestinian state, deepening the rift with Australia's closest security partner. Huckabee, a former Republican presidential candidate and major supporter of Israel, said he had spoken to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and both men were unhappy with the decision Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday. 'There is an enormous level of disappointment, and some disgust,' Huckabee said on the ABC's 7.30 on Thursday. He did not confirm the exact words used by Rubio or Trump, saying he would not reveal private conversations. 'I think it does express, though, the emotional sentiment, a sense of: 'you've got to be kidding. Why would they be doing this? And why would they be doing it now?'' The comments build pressure on Albanese, who has already faced a storm of criticism this week after Hamas officials praised Australia's decision to recognise a State of Palestine at a United Nations meeting in September. Albanese played down Huckabee's comments, saying the former governor represented the United States in Israel, not Australia. The prime minister told ABC radio on Friday that his role was to represent Australia's interests. 'Australians have been disgusted by what they see on their TV every night,' Albanese said. 'They were disgusted by the terrorist actions of Hamas on October 7, the slaughter of innocent Israelis, the taking of hostages and the ongoing holding of those hostages have outraged Australians, but Australians have also seen the death of tens of thousands of people.
Sydney Morning Herald
10 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Albanese plays down US ‘disgust' over Palestine recognition
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says there is disgust and disappointment in the Trump administration at the Albanese government's decision to recognise a Palestinian state, deepening the rift with Australia's closest security partner. Huckabee, a former Republican presidential candidate and major supporter of Israel, said he had spoken to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and both men were unhappy with the decision Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday. 'There is an enormous level of disappointment, and some disgust,' Huckabee said on the ABC's 7.30 on Thursday. He did not confirm the exact words used by Rubio or Trump, saying he would not reveal private conversations. 'I think it does express, though, the emotional sentiment, a sense of: 'you've got to be kidding. Why would they be doing this? And why would they be doing it now?'' The comments build pressure on Albanese, who has already faced a storm of criticism this week after Hamas officials praised Australia's decision to recognise a State of Palestine at a United Nations meeting in September. Albanese played down Huckabee's comments, saying the former governor represented the United States in Israel, not Australia. The prime minister told ABC radio on Friday that his role was to represent Australia's interests. 'Australians have been disgusted by what they see on their TV every night,' Albanese said. 'They were disgusted by the terrorist actions of Hamas on October 7, the slaughter of innocent Israelis, the taking of hostages and the ongoing holding of those hostages have outraged Australians, but Australians have also seen the death of tens of thousands of people.
Canberra Times
40 minutes ago
- Canberra Times
'Disgust': US diplomat attacks ALP's Palestine decision
Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! Be the first to know when news breaks. As it happens Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. Get the very best journalism from The Canberra Times by signing up to our special reports. As it happens Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. Get the latest property and development news here. We've selected the best reading for your weekend. Join our weekly poll for Canberra Times readers. Your exclusive preview of David Pope's latest cartoon. Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. Don't miss updates on news about the Public Service. As it happens Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. More from National The coalition has pledged to reverse Australia's position if it wins the next election. Almost 150 out of the 193 UN member states have already recognised the state of Palestine, including EU countries Spain and Ireland. Mr Albanese has said Australia's recognition is tied to a commitment that Hamas play no role in a future Palestinian state. Hamas has still not released all of the Israeli hostages. The UN projects 2.1 million people in Gaza are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, while 470,000 are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza has killed almost 62,000 Palestinians, including 18,000 children, according to local health authorities. "This is going to set back the peace process by weeks, potentially months, maybe even years." "This decision by the Labor government has bewildered the Americans, that (the government) essentially departed from years of a strong alliance between Israel and America and Australia to make this decision unilaterally," she told Seven's Sunrise. Liberal senator Jane Hume said Americans on both sides of politics had been shocked by the decision on statehood. "It wasn't one taken lightly. It was one taken after weeks and weeks of consideration." "We're convinced we've made the right decision. "There is a readout from the State Department about that conversation," Mr Butler said. Mr Butler denied the US was not informed. While Mr Huckabee said the US got "no heads up" about Australia's decision, Foreign Minister Penny Wong did inform US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of it being made public. "We are convinced this is the right decision at the right time to help build momentum to break this cycle of violence." Mark Butler is adamant the federal government has made the right decision to recognise Palestine. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS) "At the end of the day, this is the ambassador to Israel - his job is to manage the relationship between America and Israel," he told Seven's Sunrise program on Friday. Federal minister Mark Butler sought to downplay the ambassador's comments. The goal is to end the cycle of violence in Gaza sparked when the designated terrorist group Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking about 250 hostage. Australia's decision comes after other western allies - the UK, France and Canada - unveiled plans to recognise statehood at the summit, with certain conditions. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will formally recognise Palestine at a United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York in September. "The result of this has been to completely halt any type of thoughtful negotiations going forward." "What Australia and the other countries may have done inadvertently is to push Israel towards doing exactly what they're afraid of," he said. Mr Huckabee criticised the timing of the statehood announcement. Mike Huckabee believes Australia's decision to recognise Palestine may hurt the peace process. (AP PHOTO) "There is an enormous level of disappointment and some disgust," he told ABC's 7.30 program on Thursday night. Mike Huckabee, who was appointed to the ambassadorial role by President Donald Trump in April, said the US was taken aback by the federal government's announcement on Monday. All other regional websites in your area The digital version of Today's Paper All articles from our website & app Login or signup to continue reading Subscribe now for unlimited access. America's ambassador to Israel has hit out at Australia's decision to recognise Palestine, saying the US is "disappointed" by the decision. The top US diplomat in Israel is scathing of Australia's plan to recognise Palestinian statehood Photo: Darren England/AAP PHOTOS Your digital subscription includes access to content from all our websites in your region. Access unlimited news content and The Canberra Times app. Premium subscribers also enjoy interactive puzzles and access to the digital version of our print edition - Today's Paper. Login or create a free account to save this to My Saved List Login or create a free account to save this to My Saved List Login or create a free account to save this to My Saved List
