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Journalists questioned Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about Foreign Minister Penny Wong's remarks from last night, in which she mentioned the necessity of Palestinian statehood.
Declaring unequivocally that "Hamas has no role in a future Palestinian state," Albanese reaffirmed government support for a two-state solution while holding a press conference in Ballina, northern New South Wales.
“ Well, we have said for a long period of time that we support a two-state solution. Now, we don't think that Hamas should have any role in a future Palestinian state - we've made that very clear. They're a terrorist organisation and not a legitimate party to the future of Palestine. And they are an organisation that have not assisted either Palestinians, as well as of course, are being committed to the destruction of the state of Israel. What we want is Israelis and Palestinians to be able to live in peace and security with stability, and to be able to prosper in the future in a region which is peaceful. ” Mr Albanese told reporters on Wednesday.
When a journalist questioned Mr. Albanese about the opposition, he stated that accepting a state for Palestine equates to endorsing terrorism.
Well, we have had a long-term position of support for a two-state solution in the Middle East. Nothing has changed in our position there. And that has been a stated position of past Australian governments as well. We have said that every innocent life matters, whether they be Israeli or Palestinian. We have unequivocally opposed the actions of Hamas on October 7 as the actions of a terrorist organisation. That organisation is outlawed for good reason and we have called for the immediate release of all hostages which have been held by Hamas. We've done that consistently.
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Meanwhile, Simon Birmingham, a spokesman for the Coalition's foreign policy, claims that Penny Wong's call for a discussion about Palestinian statehood is premature and could give Hamas in Gaza more confidence.
He said It is downright dangerous to reward such barbaric conduct with a fast track to recognition of statehood.
In a statement said :
Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated in her speech to the ANU National Security College that: “a secure and prosperous future for both Israelis and Palestinians will only come with a two-state solution.”
The reality, however, is that a two-state solution will only be possible with security, and confidence that the right of each party to exist will be respected by the other.
Hamas’s attacks of 7 October, deliberately slaughtering more Jews than on any single day since The Holocaust, shattered any sense of security and, in their own words, was an attack on Israel’s right to exist.
Hamas’s embedding of its terrorist leaders and infrastructure, along with the hostages it has illegally held since 7 October, amongst innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure has only compounded the tragic loss of life from this conflict.
He disclosed The Albanese Government needs to urgently clarify whether these are preconditions to any recognition by their government of a Palestinian state.
Greens leader Adam Bandt has called on the government to “immediately recognise Palestine”.
Posting on social media site X, he also said the government should “end military exports and stop military
Following Foreign Minister Penny Wong's reaffirmation of support for a two-state solution, opposition Leader Peter Dutton charged that the government was exhibiting "a clear prejudice towards Israel."
In a speech on Wednesday night at the Sydney Opera House, Mr. Dutton called for migrants to "leave" if they "do not subscribe to our liberal democratic values" and accused the foreign minister of "recklessness."
He said Prior to the 2022 election, Mr Albanese promised that a Labor Government would hold a balanced position on the Israel-Palestinian issue and not depart from the Coalition’s approach.
Since the election, however, the Albanese Government’s foreign policy positions have exposed a clear prejudice towards Israel.
The Albanese Government has failed to provide the moral clarity which distinguishes the lawful from the lawless, which differentiates civilisation from barbarism, and which discerns the good from the evil.
Indeed, there is a direct correlation between Labor’s muddied foreign policy positions and its lax domestic policy positions on anti-Semitism.
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