Albanese backflips on Palestine state recognition after Abbas talks
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
4 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
Protesters in Tel Aviv criticise Netanyahu government's handling of war in Gaza
Protesters in central Tel Aviv are demonstrating against the Israeli government's handling of the war in Gaza. The rally is being held a day before a general strike called for by the families of Israeli hostages, who are calling for an Israel-Hamas agreement to secure the release of around 50 hostages who remain in Gaza.
News.com.au
4 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Living standards to fall as RBA warns on growth
Australians' living standards will fall and there's very little the central bank can do about it. According to the Reserve Bank's statement on monetary policy, there will be lower pay rises, weak consumer spending, falling business profits and an overall drop in living standards over the medium term. The central bank put the issue squarely on Australia's lack of productivity and points out it is powerless to stop it. 'Lower productivity growth means slower growth in business revenues, household incomes and ultimately demand,' the RBA's quarterly statement on monetary policy said. Despite the grim outlook, the RBA boss Michele Bullock was quick to point out there was little the central bank could do to fix these issues, even as she announced last Tuesday that the board was cutting interest rates by 25 basis points to 3.60 per cent. '(The) productivity slowdown is a matter for the government that they are taking on,' Ms Bullock said. 'They're looking at what they can do.' Ms Bullock said businesses were also looking at the issue. 'There's nothing the Reserve Bank can do,' she continued. 'All the Reserve Bank can do is make sure we have low and stable inflation, and if we have full employment, both of those things are very stable environments for businesses to think about how they might improve productivity, how they might produce more for the same amount of labour and capital input.' The RBA's call comes just days ahead of Treasurer Jim Chalmers' much-hyped economic roundtable Economists, unions, business people and politicians will all head to Canberra next week for a three-day discussion aimed at lifting Australia's falling productivity. Why does it matter? Simply put, productivity matters because it improves living standards, leads to economic growth and a greater economy. Productivity is the measure of how efficiently resources such as time, effort and materials are used to produce a given output. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia's long-term productivity has slumped. In 2003-2004, productivity grew at 1.8 per cent a year; in 2022-2023, it was down to just 0.9 per cent a year. Under this grim reality, Australians' living standards are falling. To put a dollar figure on it, the Productivity Commission estimated that full-time workers would be $14,000 a year worse off by 2035 if Australia couldn't rediscover its previous growth and continued on its current trend. Separate RBA research found the slump in productivity came at the same time as a lack of competition in business, costing every Aussie about $3000 in today's dollars. Australians remain in the dark Despite having a wide-ranging impact on their lives, most Australians are unaware of what the government is doing or trying to achieve with its productivity roundtable. According to Amplify and YouGov polling, three in four Aussies haven't heard of the roundtable and a further 60 per cent are not confident it would lead to meaningful change. Amplify chief executive Georgina Harrisson said this issue hits every Australian household, but too often governments propose solutions that pit different parts of the community against each other. 'This roundtable can't just be a talkfest limited to the Canberra bubble – not when the issue is being felt in every Australian home,' she said. 'Australians are doing it tough, with rising bills, higher housing costs and lower productivity. 'The government can't afford to waste this moment on words alone; we need action that delivers real wins in people's pockets.' Ms Harrisson said the government needed to do far more to bring the voices of everyday Australians into the discussion. 'When the community don't trust or feel understood by their political representatives, it is more important than ever to be reaching out and letting them in to the conversations that affect them most,' she said. Four things to lift productivity Meanwhile, AMP chief economist Shane Oliver says there are four key ways the government can lift productivity. He believes too much regulation, the current tax system, a lack of competition and government overspending is all holding Australia back. Dr Oliver said productivity is the 'secret sauce' that enables strong growth in real wages, living standards and profits while, at the same time, keeping inflation low. 'So hopefully, the Roundtable will kick off a process of economic reform that will boost the ability of the economy to produce goods and services with the aim of boosting long-term living standards,' he said. Dr Oliver said the government should lift productivity through removing red tape, tax reform, increasing competition and having government spending capped at 25 per cent of GDP. It is currently 28 per cent. 'Combined it should free up the supply side of the economy to make it easier for the economy to supply goods and services for any given level of hours worked by Australian workers,' he told NewsWire. 'For example, it should enable us to build more homes and allow businesses to produce more.' As part of the roundtable, the economist said there needs to be a rebalance away from income taxes to a broader GST, while compensating those on a lower income, and removing nuisance taxes like stamp duty, would be key to getting Australia's productivity back on track. 'This sounds politically difficult but if combined with an adjustment to income tax scales to offset the regressive nature of the GST, some measures to cap property tax concessions (like cutting the overly generous capital gains tax discount) and better tax gas exports a broad consensus could be reached,' he said. Dr Oliver also proposed keeping government spending below 25 per cent of GDP as it would ensure budget stability and boost productivity by not having the government taking more than required when it comes to workers. 'The reality of course is that everyone has their wish list and expectations running into the Roundtable appear to be running too high. It's likely just the start of long process through which (hopefully) the government will pick the best options and make some compromises,' he said. NAB chief executive Andrew Irvine said stronger business investment and less regulation was required to help lift Australia's ailing productivity. 'The vast amount of job growth in our country in the last 10 years has been in the public sector, not the private sector,' he said at the Australian Banking Association annual conference in Sydney. 'When I speak to our business customers, they say it's just too hard to start, scale and grow a business. We need to fix that and reduce red tape to create more jobs in the private sector.'
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Man who almost lost hand in alleged machete attack gets visa extension
A man who almost lost his hand in an alleged machete attack has been granted a new visa so his medical treatment can continue in Australia. 7.30 can reveal that 33-year-old Indian national Saurabh Anand was granted the visa and is on a pathway to permanent residency after the federal government considered his case on compassionate grounds. Mr Anand survived the incident which allegedly occurred at a shopping centre in Altona Meadows just under a month ago. Five teenagers have been charged over the alleged attack including a 15-year-old boy arrested last Thursday. Mr Anand was facing deportation as his temporary visa was due to expire on August 25. The new visa will allow him to stay for up to two years, but he is also on a pathway to become a permanent resident of Australia. He says his health has been on rapid decline due to the severity of his injuries and pain. "This is a moment where I feel relieved that the government and the community has come together to support me through one of the most horrifying moments in my life," Mr Anand told 7.30. Mr Anand said the decision has rekindled his hope in humanity. Mr Anand and his mother Nitin Anand met with his local MP Tim Watts and Assistant Minister for Citizenship Julian Hill to receive the new visa. In a short meeting at the electorate office of Mr Watts, Mr Hill signed documents which granted the extension. The local MP offered Indian sweets to Mr Anand and his mother following the signing. In a poignant moment Ms Anand then took the sweets and offered them back to the two assistant ministers as a gesture of thanks for their decision. "If you have some I will have some," Mr Watts said to Ms Anand. Documents granting a two-year renewal to his subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) visa were signed after Mr Anand was briefly taken temporarily into administrative detention to process the claim. Under law, it is an administrative requirement for the short detention period to take place so that the new can be granted. The decision was made under Section 195A of the Migration Act, which allows the minister to grant a detained person a visa if it was in the public interest. Mr Hill told 7.30 he was moved by Mr Anand's case. "It's the right thing to do, but also I'd hope as an Australian that if my daughter or any of our sons and daughters were in a foreign land and had been contributing to that country and ended up in a similar circumstance that another country would treat our sons and daughters as well." His recovery and treatment could take up to 12 months. "I am taking one day at a time, every day gives me a new hope, and this is a new hope for me," he said. "But as of the recovery, both physical and mental, exertion is there. "And it's going to be a long journey. "I'd like to thank everyone who has been supporting me throughout the community." On August 7, following the airing of a 7.30 story about Mr Anand's case in which he and his mother pleaded for help from the government, Mr Anand wrote to the minister seeking "urgent attention" to his case. In the email, he detailed how he was allegedly assaulted and the local medical care required for his recovery. "My injuries were so severe that it took over five hours for surgeons to reconstruct and reattach my left arm and hand, which had been nearly severed," he wrote. "Despite their efforts, I have lost approximately 80 per cent sensation in my left arm, hand, and fingers, and currently suffer from excruciating pain, multiple fractures, severed nerves, tendons, and muscles." Mr Anand has worked as a sales representative during his time in Australia and said that before his attack, he intended to move his career into the field of artificial intelligence. "I have lived in Australia for over seven years," he wrote in his email to the minister. "I have always abided by Australian laws and contributed to the community, "I am the only son of my widowed mother in India, and this incident has left me emotionally and financially devastated. "I place my hope in your compassion and kindness during this incredibly difficult period." Since the alleged attach in July attack Mr Anand has received support and visitation from both sides of politics including Victorian State Liberal MP Moira Deeming. Ms Deeming wrote to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on August 7 to plead for Mr Anand to be granted a bridging visa. The federal government will now move to grant Mr Anand permanent residency pending character checks and a full process through the Department of Home Affairs. Mr Hill said Mr Anand's work in Australia were key factors in his decision. "He studied a high-quality [degree], a master's at RMIT, and he's worked and contributed to the community," he said. Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV Do you know more about this story? Get in touch with 7.30 here.
