Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced Australia will recognise a state of Palestine when the United Nations’ General Assembly meets in September.
“Australia will recognise the right of the Palestinian people to a state of their own, predicated on the commitments Australia has received from the Palestinian Authority,” he said.
“We will work with the international community to make this right a reality.”
Cabinet met in Canberra earlier on Monday, where it signed off on statehood.
Israeli Prime Minister responds to international plans for recognition
“They know what they would do if they were right next to Melbourne or right next to Sydney,” the prime minister said.
“You had these horrific attacks. I think that you would do it — at least what we’re doing. Probably, maybe not as efficiently and as precisely as we’re doing it.”
Source: SBS News
“To have European countries and Australia march into that rabbit hole, just like that, fall right into it and buy this canard is disappointing, and I think it’s actually shameful,” Netanyahu said.
“It’s not going to change our position. Again, we will not commit national suicide to get a good op-ed for two minutes.”
The survey from DemosAU found 45 per cent of respondents supported Australia recognising a Palestinian state before a negotiated peace agreement, with 23 per cent opposed. Levels of support were highest among those aged 18 to 34 at 57 per cent, while people aged 55 and over were more likely to be opposed, at 28 per cent.
More than 140 of the 193 UN member states already recognise the Palestinian state, including European Union member states Spain and Ireland.
United States President Donald Trump has remained steadfastly opposed to recognition and maintains international moves to do so are rewarding Hamas.
This is a developing story and this article will be updated.
