Will Australia Join Push for ‘Palestine’ State?
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Jewish leaders in Australia scolded an attempt to recognize a Palestine state in federal parliament as “an exercise in empty symbolism.”
Labor lawmaker Maria Vamvakinou, a co-convener of the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine group, tabled the private members’ bill in Canberra Monday calling on the Liberal government of Tony Abbott, one of Israel’s staunchest allies, to recognize a Palestinian state.
“Australia, and indeed this parliament, must now recognize the state of Palestine. Australia must vote yes at the U.N. for Palestinian statehood. Fifty six per cent of Australians are in favor of this and 135 countries have already done so.”
The debate, timed to coincide with the United Nation’s International Day of Solidarity With the Palestinian People, was adjourned; no resolution was passed.
It came as France this week joined a growing number of countries to recognize a Palestinian state, including Sweden. Spain, Britain and Ireland have backed non-binding resolutions in favor of recognizing Palestine. And the European Parliament will vote in the coming weeks on the recognition of a Palestinian state, after the vote was postponed last week.
Robert Goot, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the motion was “an exercise in empty symbolism.”
Dr. Colin Rubenstein, executive director of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, described the motion as “an annual ritual for the usual suspects, part of a small minority of MPs to use the U.N.’s International Day of Solidarity With the Palestinian people to make one-sided speeches demonizing Israel.”
Michael Danby, a staunch pro-Israel lawmaker and one of two Jew lawmakers in the Labor Party, said the proponents of the motion were “individuals who do not speak for either party.”
“No one has paid attention to this private members’ motion which was ostensibly about the international year of solidarity with the Palestinians and not about the Palestinian state.”
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
