Israel’s government is increasingly isolated on the world stage, including over its latest military offensive targeting Gaza City. The continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank has also angered international leaders.
A United Nations independent international commission of inquiry found last week that genocide is occurring in Gaza.
Its report accused Netanyahu and other senior Israeli leaders of incitement of genocide. Israel’s foreign ministry categorically rejected the report’s finding and called for the commission’s abolition.
There is no timeline yet for the international court of justice hearing into Israel’s compliance with an international convention on genocide, but observers expect it is unlikely to occur before 2027.
Netanyahu has called Albanese as a “weak” leader over the moves towards recognition of Palestine, lashing out at Australian prime minister and claiming he has “forever tarnished” his reputation.
The hardline leader said recognition was wrong, because Hamas had used its power “for murder, pillage and monstrous crimes” and must not be rewarded. He has called Australia’s decision “appeasement” and even compared the move to Adolf Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1938.
Albanese has been a vocal proponent of Palestinian statehood for decades, and Labor’s national platform has called for recognition to be a priority for Australian governments.
The White House moved to block senior Palestinian representatives from travelling to the UN this week for talks, denying members of the delegation visas.
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, said Labor had extended recognition of Palestine ahead of crucial conditions being in place.
“Hamas still holds Israeli hostages, seized during the terrorist raids of 7 October 2023. Hamas is still in power in Gaza and continues to attack Israel. The Palestinian people can see no hope of democratic self-governance while Hamas is in power,” she said.