The news: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will announce his plan to recognise a Palestinian state in the coming days.
The details: The imminent announcement, first revealed by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, could be made as soon as today and is subject to change.
Federal cabinet is meeting on Monday morning, when it could sign off on the deicision
Foreign Minister Penny Wong spoke to her Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar on Sunday to brief him about the decision, sources told the SMH and Age.
Labor sources stressed that the announcement would likely set out Australia’s conditions for recognition of Palestine, including that Hamas should not be involved in governing Gaza and Israel’s security should be guaranteed.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke opened the door to Australia recognising Palestine even if Hamas remained in control of Gaza, telling Sky News that Canberra had previously recognised governments in Iraq and Syria when their territories had been occupied and governed by terrorists.
It will follow France announcing its plan to recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September, and Britain, Canada also announcing similar moves with conditions.
In a press conference on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed “European countries and Australia” for marching “into that rabbit hole”, describing it as “disappointing, and I think it’s actually shameful”.
What they said: “Both Syria and Iraq had a long period where parts of those countries were being occupied and realistically controlled by ISIS,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told Sky News on Sunday.
“It didn’t stop us from recognising and having diplomatic relations with those countries themselves.”