Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mackellar for her question, and I share the distress that people around the world would feel when they look at young Muhammad, one year old. He is not a threat to the State of Israel, nor is he someone who can be seen to be a fighter for Hamas. He's a young child who deserves to be treated appropriately, and the position of the Australian government is very clear that every innocent life matters—every Israeli and every Palestinian. This conflict has stolen far too many innocent lives. Tens of thousands of civilians are dead. Children are starving. Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe, and Israel's denial of aid and the killing of civilians including children seeking access to water and food cannot be defended, nor can it be ignored. We have called upon Israel to comply immediately with its obligations under international law. We have also unequivocally condemned Hamas and said that it can play no role whatsoever in a future state of Palestine and that hostages must be released immediately.

I'll make three points about recognition. The first is that my government is committed to a two-state solution—Israel and Palestine. That has been a bipartisan position for a long period of time. Australia played a role in the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, and it's something we should be proud of. But what was envisaged was two states, not one. The second point I'd make is that the Foreign minister announced last year that recognition of a Palestinian state by Australia might occur before the finalisation of a peace process. The third point is that the timing of a decision to recognise the state of Palestine will be determined by whether that decision advances the realisation of that objective. It must be more than a gesture; it must be something that's a part of moving forward. And Australia will make that decision as a sovereign state.

We obviously are in discussions with other countries—as well as going forward. We do that as the reason why a two-state solution remains the goal of the international community is that a just and lasting peace depends upon it. Prime Minister John Howard said, in 2006, that there can be no solution to the Middle East without solving the Palestinian question, and that means not just Israel's right to live in peace and security and to defend itself; it also means the realisation of the legitimate aspiration of the Palestinian people to live in their own state with peace, security and the prospect of prosperity as well. I thank the member for her question.

See this speech in context