Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led government is all set to recognise a Palestinian state as early as Monday, following a similar move by France, the UK and Canada, a report in Sydney Morning Herald stated.
PM Albanese could sign the move within days after the cabinet clears it on Monday, the report added, quoting unnamed sources. However, the office of the Australian prime minister has not responded to the development.
France and the UK last month said they would recognise a Palestinian state, which was followed by the same announcement made by Mark Carney led Canada. Though Britain said it would follow suit unless Israel addresses the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories and reaches a ceasefire. The countries have set September as the deadline to recognise a Palestinian state.
Israel, on the contrary, has condemned the decision taken by its allies to recognise a Palestinian state, saying the action would amount to reward militant group Hamas that governs Gaza and had attacked Israel in October 2023 which led to a war in the region.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that most of the Israeli citizens were against the establishment of a Palestinian state as they think it would bring war and not peace in the region, despite thousands of protesters and demonstrators demanding an end to war with a ceasefire and hostage deal.
“To have European countries and Australia march into that rabbit hole just like that, fall right into it…this is disappointing and I think it’s actually shameful but it’s not going to change our position,” Netanyahu said, reported Reuters.
Australian PM Albanese has been vocal about a two-state solution, with his centre-left government supporting Israel’s right to exist within secure borders and Palestinians’ right to their own state.
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When asked by reporters about his government’s stance on recognising a Palestinian state, Albanese said “I’ve said it’s a matter of when, not if.”
(with inputs from Reuters, Sydney Morning Herald)
