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SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
Israeli minister announces controversial West Bank settlement project expansion
Israel's far-right finance minister has announced a contentious new settlement construction in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which Palestinians and rights groups worry will scuttle plans for a future Palestinian state by effectively cutting the West Bank into two separate parts. "This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise," Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Thursday "Anyone in the world who tries today to recognise a Palestinian state — will receive an answer from us on the ground." Development in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, has been under consideration for more than two decades, but was frozen due to pressure from the United States during previous administrations. On Thursday, Smotrich praised US President Donald Trump and US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee as "true friends of Israel as we have never had before". The E1 plan has not yet received its final approval, which is expected next week. It includes about 3,300 homes to expand the settlement of Maale Adumim, according to Peace Now, a group that tracks settlement activity in the West Bank. While some bureaucratic steps remain, if the process moves quickly, construction of homes could start in about a year. International community largely views West Bank settlements as illegal Most of the international community views Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and its military occupation over the region since 1967, as illegal. The United Nations considers these settlements illegal under international law, and the Geneva Convention states that an occupying power can't move its civilians to the territory it occupies. Israel denies that settlements are illegal under international law, as it considers the West Bank to be disputed territory, not occupied territory. Palestinians fear the settlement building in the West Bank — which has sharply intensified since the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that led to the Gaza war — will rob them of any chance to build a state of their own in the area. Settler violence has skyrocketed, from destruction of olive groves and cutting water and electricity in communities, to incendiary attacks on Christian holy sites. Earlier this year, Australia, alongside Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom, applied sanctions against Smotrich , as well as Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over their role in inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said at the time the pair had played a role in "serious human rights violations and abuses relating to Israeli settler violence in the West Bank". Wong said the two were "the most extreme proponents of the unlawful and violent settlement enterprise". Rights groups swiftly condemned the E1 plan. Peace Now called it "deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution" that was "guaranteeing many more years of bloodshed". There was no immediate statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or the broader government. Smotrich's popularity has fallen in recent months, with polls showing his party would not win a single seat if parliamentary elections were held today. The Palestinian foreign ministry called the new settlement plan an "extension of the crimes of genocide, displacement and annexation". Israel has long rejected accusations of genocide and rights abuses and said it is acting in its own defence. The announcement comes as the Palestinian Authority and Arab countries condemned Netanyahu's statement in an interview on Tuesday that he was "very" attached to the vision of a Greater Israel. He did not elaborate, but supporters of the idea believe that Israel should control not only the occupied West Bank but parts of Arab countries. About 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in a move not recognised by most countries, but has not formally extended sovereignty over the West Bank. The UN and most world powers say settlement expansion has eroded the viability of a two-state solution by fragmenting Palestinian territory. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the area, and says the settlements provide strategic depth and security.
The Australian
7 hours ago
- The Australian
Albanese backflips on Palestine state recognition after Abbas talks
No less a distinguished personage than president Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority has told Anthony Albanese that Australia can play an 'important role' in bringing peace to the Middle East. It could be done if Canberra recognised a Palestine state, he told the Prime Minister last week. Sensing that greatness was calling, Albanese announced on Monday Australia will join the UK, Canada and France and declare accordingly at the UN General Assembly next month. Only a fortnight before, Albanese told ABC's Insiders Australia would not recognise a Palestine state unless it 'operates in an appropriate way which does not threaten the existence of Israel' and Hamas was excluded 'from any involvement there'. Did this leave open the possibility of his government recognising it at the UNGA in September, asked host David Speers. 'Are we about to do that? No, we are not,' Albanese replied. But having just got off the blower with the PA president (his first conversation with him in nearly two years), Albanese has decided Abbas is a man who can deliver. This is the same Abbas who in 1983 wrote the book The Other Side: The Secret Relationship Between Nazism and the Zionist Movement, which not only claimed Zionists colluded with the Nazis to make life unbearable for Jews in Europe, but also that the recorded number of deaths in the Holocaust was vastly exaggerated. But Abbas has since walked back on some of these claims. He no longer denies the number of deaths. He merely claims, as he told the Fatah Revolutionary Council in 2023, the Nazi pogrom was not anti-Semitic but instead motivated by Jewish involvement in 'usury, money and so on'. Now admittedly this latest take shows Abbas is yet to shed all his misconceptions as well as get across all the salient facts of the Holocaust. But nonetheless he is making real progress, no? And while it is true Abbas's tenure as president has been a tad controversial, he has assured Albanese a Palestine state will be the paradigm of good governance. He promises demilitarisation, elections, financial transparency and an education system free of hateful ideology. He promises the PA will stop paying rewards to families of martyred terrorists. In summary, he promises things he never delivered as president, a role he has occupied for more than 20 years. But despite that, Albanese will recognise without precondition a Palestine state. In fairness to him, he identifies with Abbas in at least one respect. 'My word is my bond', anyone? Could this be the beginning of a wonderful partnership that brings peace to a troubled land and warring rivals? Albanese's diplomatic venture promises to be every bit as successful as that of former prime minister Malcolm Fraser's dalliance with Robert Mugabe, the great humanitarian Marxist, leader of ZANU-PF, and Zimbabwe's inaugural prime minister. As with Fraser, Albanese has overlooked a couple of considerations in throwing his lot in with Abbas. Just minor things, mind you. For starters, and as reported by this masthead, the latest survey (May 2025) by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research revealed only 15 per cent of respondents were satisfied with Abbas's performance. Additionally, respondent data showed support for Hamas is higher in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip than for Fatah. And what of Albanese's claim on Tuesday that his government's recognising a Palestine state was 'the opposite of what Hamas wants'? The very next day Hamas co-founder Hassan Yousef praised the Albanese government for its 'political courage', saying the decision was an 'important step towards achieving justice for our people'. Australia's move was 'largely meaningless', said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 'It's symbolic, and they're doing it primarily for one reason, and that is their internal politics, their domestic politics.' That is a tactful way of saying Albanese is a grandstanding meddler. He deserves Rubio's disdain. This opportunistic blundering has emboldened Hamas and relegated the welfare of its Israeli hostages to secondary considerations. As for Albanese's stressing he did not act alone, collective tomfoolery is no excuse for incompetence. But don't let my being a wet blanket stop you, Anthony Albanese. Tell us your plans for building Australia's relationship with a Palestine state. Who will be our inaugural ambassador? My first thought was former NSW premier and foreign minister Bob Carr, who has done much to arouse anti-Israel sentiment with his bizarre diatribes. But, given his insistence on travelling first class and staying in top-notch accommodation, that could be problematic while Gaza is in its present state. This is a time for nation-building, and for that Palestine needs essential workers. I refer to the 24 employees of the Australian Human Rights Commission who last year demanded then AHRC president Rosalind Croucher condemn 'Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank'. Your plane awaits, people. You can take with you those well-meaning individuals who make up the 'Queers for Palestine' movement. I am sure the members of Hamas will be most receptive to your suggestions for Gaza's first 'Wear it Purple Day'. Ditto the activists comprising the Teachers and School Staff for Palestine who led children in chants of 'Allahu Akbar' outside Granville Boys High School in western Sydney in February. Your pedagogical expertise would ideally complement a Palestinian curriculum. Getting a plane there may be difficult, but fear not. The Qantas flight attendants who proudly wear a Palestinian flag on their lapel would be delighted to assist. Come to think of it, wouldn't you lot be happier staffing the Palestinian national carrier? But if there is one thing Gaza really needs, it is thespians. Think Harry Greenwood, Megan Wilding and Mabel Li, whose little keffiyeh stunt in 2023 on the opening night of Chekov's The Seagull nearly bankrupted the Sydney Theatre Company. As we speak, a Palestinian playwright pens a masterpiece inspired by your brave and noble efforts. Coming to a Gaza theatre soon: The Peacock, the Goose and the Galah. Read related topics: Anthony Albanese The Mocker amuses himself by calling out poseurs, sneering social commentators, and po-faced officials. He is deeply suspicious of those who seek increased regulation of speech and behaviour. Believing that journalism is dominated by idealists and activists, he likes to provide a realist's perspective of politics and current affairs. Nation The terror group has rejected 'any issuance of a statement' by co-founder Sheik Hassan Yousef, who is in prison and 'has no means of communicating with the press'. Nation The children's safety regulator was considering removing the child from its parents until CCTV revealed a daycare worker had caused the injury.
News.com.au
14 hours ago
- News.com.au
PM making ‘real mess' with Palestine pledge, opposition says
Sussan Ley says Anthony Albanese is 'making a real mess' after Hamas praised his decision to recognise Palestinian statehood. Hamas, the Islamist militants behind the October 7 attacks on Israel in 2023, overnight issued statements to Australian media saying it welcomed any support to 'help the Palestinian people achieve their national goals'. The group - a registered terrorist organisation in Australia - runs Gaza, where Israel has waged a 22-month war in a bid to wipe it out and rescue hostages taken the October 7 assault. The Opposition Leader said on Thursday the Prime Minister needed to rethink his decision. 'On the same day, a listed terror organisation calls our Prime Minister a hero, while our closest ally, the US, says that these actions are going to make peace in the region less likely,' Ms Ley told Nine's Today. 'So it's really quite extraordinary, because remember, the Prime Minister used justification for this decision by saying Hamas would not be involved. 'And I saw the Treasurer yesterday saying, oh, Hamas will have no role in a future Palestinian state. Really? As if we can control these things?' She said she was 'really concerned because, like all Australians, I want to see Gazans fed, the hostages released and the war to come to an end'. 'But this decision is opposed by the Coalition for these reasons, and that's why we will revoke it in government, because it doesn't bring about a two-state solution, it doesn't make the world a safer place,' Ms Ley said. Hamas supporting recognition is not a surprise – Palestinian statehood is a core goal for the group. So too is the destruction of Israel, meaning it does not support a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians living within sovereign, internationally recognised borders. The Albanese government has rejected the criticism, with a spokesperson saying Mr Albanese's move is against the goals of Hamas and in line with broader regional efforts to 'isolate' it. 'What Australia has done is contribute international momentum towards a two-state solution, which Hamas opposes,' the spokesperson said. 'We are supporting the Arab League's efforts to isolate Hamas. 'Hamas always tries to manipulate facts for their own propaganda.'
