LONDON: Australia’s first Muslim MP and government minister has said his country should recognize a Palestinian state, following in the footsteps of the UK as part of a tide of “moral momentum.”
The appeal by Labor’s Ed Husic, who was elected in 2010, came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is to hold further talks with his British counterpart Keir Starmer in the coming days.
Starmer pledged this week to recognize a Palestinian state in September if Israel fails to reach a ceasefire with Hamas, among other conditions.
If Australia does the same, it would deprive Hamas of its power in Gaza and expedite the peace process, Husic said.
“Hamas is built largely on grievance. That grievance gets removed with the establishment of a state of Palestine, nurtured with the cooperation and support of the international community, progressed through the development of democratic institutions,” he added.
The former minister said his Labor colleagues feel increasingly aggrieved over the situation in Gaza, calling on them to urge Australian recognition of a Palestinian state.
“There is a deep feeling within the caucus, about how right it is to recognize Palestine, and I would much rather that colleagues speak for themselves,” he added.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong signed an international statement calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Albanese, however, declined to immediately follow Starmer’s decision despite Australia’s government previously signaling that it would move in unison with international partners on measures to address the crisis in Gaza.
“What I’ve said is that it’s not the timeline, that’s not what we’re looking at. What we’re looking at is the circumstances where recognition will advance the objective of the creation of two states,” Albanese said at Parliament House after speaking with Starmer this week.
“I’ve said for a long time, my entire political life, I’ve said I support two states … That’s my objective — not making a statement, not giving a political point, but achieving peace.”
