Albanese's peace gamble
Anthony Albanese’s shift on Palestinian recognition aligns with like-minded countries and domestic sentiment, but leaves unresolved the hurdles he once said were essential to clear.
Just a fortnight ago, Anthony Albanese insisted Australia was not about to imminently recognise a Palestinian state.
“How do you exclude Hamas from any involvement there? How do you ensure that a Palestinian state operates in an appropriate way which does not threaten the existence of Israel?” the prime minister told the ABC’s Insiders on 27 July.
Yet on Monday, Albanese overturned Australia’s long-standing bipartisan position that recognition should follow a negotiated settlement with Israel. Along with France, Britain and Canada, Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at next month’s United Nations General Assembly.
What changed?
In a phone call on 5 August, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas personally gave Albanese a series of guarantees: recognition of Israel’s right to exist, demilitarisation of a future Palestinian state, elections excluding Hamas, and the removal of anti-Semitic content from PA-controlled school curricula.
