Labor Minister confirms Anthony Albanese attempting to make contact with Benjamin Netanyahu after massive pro-Palestine march
The Prime Minister is considering a potential shift in foreign policy, following in the footsteps of the UK, France, and Canada, with September's UN General Assembly a possible timeframe for Australia to formally recognise a Palestinian state.
Mr Thistlewaite told Sky News the PM was seeking to urgently make contact with Mr Netanyahu to convey the Australian government's position on the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
'A phone call is being pursued,' Mr Thistlewaite told Sky News on Monday.
'Anthony Albanese is willing to speak with Benjamin Netanyahu to make sure the views of the Australian government and the Australian people are clear to the Israeli government.
Despite Mr Netanyahu publicly hitting out at the Australian government's for its handling of the antisemitism crisis sweeping the nation Mr Thistlewaite defended the government's position and said it was considering implementing a wide host of recommendations made by antisemitism special envoy Jillian Segal.
'We have certainly acted to combat antisemitism here in Australia and have taken a number of measures including commissioning Jillian Segal's report, and we are working through those recommendations," Mr Thistlethwaite said.
The Prime Minister confirmed he was chasing a phone call with Mr Netanyahu on Monday.
Mr Albanese told reporters his Israeli counterpart had acted inconsistent with a "two state solution" reiterating his government had been "critical of some of the actions of Israel in particular".
"My message would be the same privately as it has been in the past as the public message and privately I said to Prime Minister Netanyahu before as I have said publicly for a long period of time that I am a supporter of a two state solution and there cannot be peace and security in the Middle East without there being an advance on the two state solution," Mr Albanese said.
On Monday the federal government pledged an extra $20 million in aid to Gaza, and urged the Israeli government to allow 'unimpeded' access for the humanitarian materials to enter the war torn strip.
The additional funding is aimed at supporting organisations that have 'the scale and capacity to respond quickly to deliver food, medical supplies for field hospitals and other lifesaving support to women and children in Gaza".
'This $20 million is going to organisations to provide food relief, medical supplies and field hospitals, shared evenly across the Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN world food program and Jordanian Hashmemite charity,' Mr Thistlethwaite said.
He said that the United Nations embattled Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees was not among the organisations receiving aid from the government.
Mr Thistlethwaite also condemned images of people displaying photos of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei at the pro-Palestine protests over the weekend and labelled it 'provocative.'
The Assistant Minister said the release of a video by Hamas of an Israeli hostage digging his own grave in Gaza's vast underground tunnel network was 'sickening' and reiterated that the terrorist group could not be involved in the future governance of a Palestinian state.
'It's sickening and it's shocking, and I think that's the reason why we haven't declared a Palestinian statehood because we believe Hamas cannot be involved in the management of a Palestinian state, this is a terrorist organisation and that showed true in that sickening video that was posted on the weekend," he said.
'That's why we have said Hamas cannot be involved; we want to see two states existing side by side in peace but if you are going to get a lasting peace you can't have an organisation like that involved.'
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