The recognition train has left the station. Will Albanese jump aboard?
French President Emmanuel Macron set the train running with his announcement last week that France would recognise a Palestinian state at the major global meeting.
British President Keir Starmer followed by saying he would do the same, unless there is a ceasefire in Gaza and Israel commits to work towards a two-state solution.
Then, on Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced he would recognise Palestine – as long as the Palestinian Authority that governs the West Bank, but not Gaza, commits to reform and holding elections.
These rapid-fire moves from like-minded democracies will spark increased calls for Albanese to do the same, despite his obvious doubts about the timing and a pile of questions remaining about where the recognition push is ultimately headed.
'You need to recognise a Palestinian state as part of moving forward,' Albanese told the ABC's Insiders on Sunday.
'How do you exclude Hamas [which is in power in Gaza] from any involvement there? How do you ensure that a Palestinian state operates in an appropriate way, which does not threaten the existence of Israel? And so we won't do any decision as a gesture. We will do it as a way forward if the circumstances are met.'
Albanese's remarks were widely interpreted as ruling out recognising Palestine in September, but they contained more flexibility than first appeared.
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