Australian Labor Party to Recognise Palestine If Elected
The Australian Labor Party (ALP) has pledged to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state if it wins the next federal election and forms government.
Arthur Tane of The Council of Middle East Relations says the move is sudden and suspects Labor leader Anthony Albanese may be working to appease the left-leaning factions of his Party.
On Tuesday, Opposition Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told the ALP’s national party conference, “It reflects our belief that Israelis and Palestinians deserve to prosper in peace behind secure and recognised borders.”
“A true friend of Israel is a true friend of the rights of Palestinians to statehood,” she told the online conference. “Any lasting resolution to the Middle East conflict cannot be at the expense of either Palestinians or Israelis.”