The Australian Parliament on Thursday decisively rejected a proposal from the Green Party to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state.
The proposal saw a significant defeat with 80 members of parliament voting against it and only 5 members in support.
Adam Bandt, leader of the Green Party, argued that recognizing a Palestinian state would be “a concrete step towards peace.”
Addressing parliament, Bandt emphasized, “It’s not just a symbolic move, it’s a critical step towards peace and towards ending the slaughter we’re seeing with the invasion of Gaza at the moment. It’s time for countries, including Australia, to step up and do something. As other countries have made it a priority to recognize the state of Palestine, so too should this government do today.”
In response, Tim Watts, a spokesman for the Foreign Minister, dismissed the proposal as “wedge politics” rather than a genuine effort to achieve peace.
He stated, “A Palestinian state cannot be a threat to Israel’s security. We want to see a reformed Palestinian governing authority committed to peace, renouncing violence.”