Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed his disappointment with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stance on the Gaza conflict, stating that Netanyahu is “in denial” about the suffering inflicted on Gaza. This criticism comes after Australia announced its decision to recognize Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Albanese revealed that he had a phone conversation with Netanyahu last week, during which he informed him of Australia’s decision to join France, Canada, and the United Kingdom in recognizing a Palestinian state. However, Netanyahu reiterated his previous arguments regarding the conduct of Israel’s war on Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 61,500 Palestinians since October 2023. Albanese quoted Netanyahu’s stance, saying, “That if we just have more military action in Gaza, somehow that will produce a different outcome.”
The Australian Prime Minister emphasized the need for a political solution, stating, “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 further added, “It seems to me very clearly… we need a political solution, not a military one.”
The public mood in Australia has shifted significantly against Israel’s war on Gaza, with tens of thousands of demonstrators marching across Sydney’s Harbour Bridge, calling for aid deliveries to be allowed into Gaza as the humanitarian crisis worsens. Jessica Genauer, a senior lecturer in international relations at Flinders University, noted that “this decision is driven by popular sentiment in Australia, which has shifted in recent months, with a majority of Australians wanting to see an imminent end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”
The international community is mounting pressure on Israel, with countries like France, Canada, and the United Kingdom also announcing their recognition of Palestinian statehood. Meanwhile, neighboring New Zealand is still considering whether to recognize a Palestinian state, with former Prime Minister Helen Clark criticizing the delay, saying, “This is a catastrophic situation, and here we are in New Zealand somehow arguing some fine point about whether we should recognise we need to be adding our voice to the need for this catastrophe to stop”.