Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the Senate. I note that this motion refers, in part, to annexation plans by the Israeli government, and I want to make a short statement in respect of that component. Labor notes the Israeli government's stated intention to consider annexation of land in the West Bank after 1 July. Unilateral annexation of the West Bank would weaken the viability of any future Palestinian state and risk destabilising Israel's neighbours—a risk the world cannot afford. Labor continues to support a just and durable two-state solution to the conflict and encourages both parties to pursue direct negotiations to that end. We continue to call on both sides to refrain from any actions that hamper peaceful outcomes for both the Israeli and the Palestinian peoples.