Sussan Ley responds to US Republicans vowing to revoke Palestine recognition
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The news: Opposition Leader Sussan Ley wrote to reassure a slew of US President Donald Trump’s Republican representatives that Australia’s decision to recognise Palestine did not have bipartisan support, and that the opposition would reverse the move should it form government.
The context: Responding to an open letter signed by 25 members of the US House and the Senate which requested that Australia, the UK and France “reconsider” their decision to “unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly,” Ley’s letter was sent ahead of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s UN address on Monday.
On Friday, a group of US Republicans warned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his allies that they would face “punitive measures” if they went ahead with plans to recognise a Palestinian state.
“This is a reckless policy that undermines prospects for peace,” the Republicans’ letter continued. “It sets the dangerous precedent that violence, not diplomacy, is the most expedient means for terrorist groups like Hamas to achieve their political aims.”
Excerpts of Ley’s letter published by the SMH read: “Given the concerns raised I write to reassure you, and the Congress, that this decision taken at this time by the Labor government does not enjoy bipartisan support here in Australia…The federal opposition opposes this decision and would reverse it should we form government.”
“It is also important to note it does not reflect the view of a majority of Australians. According to the reputable Resolve Political Monitor, just 24 per cent of Australians support recognising Palestine,” Ley said in the letter, provided to SMH.
Ley also said that achieving a two-state solution will only be possible after Hamas has been removed from power in Gaza and once all hostages are released, not before that time.
Via a post on X, Ley also said that she had spoken with Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, about Labor’s recognition of Palestine over a phone call on Monday. Ley said she expressed her disappointment at the “break with bipartisanship and reiterated the Coalition’s long-held position that recognition must only come at the end of a genuine two-state process.”
Sa’ar expressed his appreciation for Ley’s position, adding that he “outlined to her Israel’s objectives in the war in Gaza and the major efforts being made to enable the continued flow of humanitarian assistance under challenging conditions.
“I stressed that Israel is well aware of the many friends it has in Australia and distinguishes between the Government and the people of Australia.”
Earlier on Monday, the Coalition labelled the Albanese government’s recognition of Palestine as a “hollow gesture of false hope”, arguing the country has “no established borders and no effective government”.
The sources: SMH, ABC, news.com.au, The Australian
