Recognition not enough: calls for more action on Gaza
Poppy Johnston |
Australia has been urged to go further than recognising a Palestinian state by following up with sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel.
The calls from pro-Palestine groups follow Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s confirmation of Australia’s intention to recognise the state at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September.
The move, which has been criticised by the Israeli ambassador as counterproductive to peace and the release of hostages, puts Australia in alignment with allies such as France, the UK and Canada.
But statehood recognition could be serving as a “political fig leaf” for western states, warned Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni.
“Recognition is completely meaningless while Australia continues to arms-trade with, diplomatically protect and encourage other states to normalise relations with the very state perpetrating these atrocities,” he said.
“Palestinian rights are not a gift to be granted by Western states.”
Labor Friends of Palestine welcomed the move but also urged the federal government to go further on sanctions and an arms embargo, citing “a groundswell” of member support.
The federal government has maintained Australia is not exporting weapons to Israel but there has been scrutiny over the contribution of Australian companies to the supply chain for fighter jets used by the Israeli military.
More than two million Palestinians face severe food insecurity, based on United Nations projections.
At least 90,000 protesters marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge earlier in August to call on the government to sanction Israel.
Israeli Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon said Palestinian recognition would “not change the reality on the ground”.
“Peace is not achieved through declarations; it is achieved when those who have chosen terror abandon it and when violence and incitement end,” he said in a statement.
Mr Albanese said formal recognition was part of a co-ordinated global effort.
“A two-state solution is humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza,” he said.
Mr Albanese said recognition would need to guarantee designated terror group Hamas, which de facto governs Gaza, would play no role in its future government.
Coalition foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said Labor’s decision risked “delivering Hamas one of its strategic objectives of the horrific terrorism of October 7” and put Australia at odds with its most important ally in the US.
The crisis in Gaza began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking about 250 more hostage.
Israel’s military response has since killed more than 61,000 people, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
Israel has denied that the population is suffering or dying from starvation, even though it has throttled the flow of aid to Gaza for months, international human rights groups have said.
AAP
