Political allies of US President Donald Trump have issued a warning to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over his government’s plans to recognise Palestine as a state.
Albanese first proposed the recognition of a Palestinian state in August, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly where formal recognition will take place later this month.
“Australia will recognise the state of Palestine,” Albanese said at the time, joining countries like France, Canada and the United Kingdom in making the historic move amid the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“Australia will recognise the right of the Palestinian people to a state of their own predicated on the commitments Australia has received from the Palestinian Authority. We will work with the international community to make this right a reality,” Albanese added.
Earlier this week, Albanese touched down in New York ahead of the formal recognition at the UN General Assembly, but his government’s decision to recognise Palestine has now been criticised by a group of 25 Republican lawmakers from the US.
Trump allies including Texas senator Ted Cruz and Elise Stefanik of New York were among those to sign a letter expressing their concerns, addressed to Albanese as well as French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mark Carney of Canada.
“This is a reckless policy that undermines prospects for peace,” the letter said of the countries’ decision to recognise a Palestinian state, per the ABC.
“It sets the dangerous precedent that violence, not diplomacy, is the most expedient means for terrorist groups like Hamas to achieve their political aims,” it continued.
The Republican lawmakers went on to describe formal recognition of Palestine as a “misguided effort to reward terrorism” that “imperils” Australia’s security, before mentioning the “sharp increases in antisemitic activity” since the October 7 attacks in 2023.
Elsewhere, the letter warned of the “punitive measures” that may be taken as a result of Australia’s recognition of Palestine.
“Proceeding with recognition will put your country at odds with longstanding US policy and interests and may invite punitive measures in response,” the letter read.
In response, Australia’s energy minister Chris Bowen, who is with Albanese in New York for the UN summit, said the recognition plan is “based on our interests and our values”.
“While everyone is entitled to their views, we will determine Australian foreign policy, not anyone else … We now see recognising Palestine as a step towards a two-state solution,” Bowen said, per the ABC.
Australia is set to formally make the move alongside France and Canada at the UN in the coming days, after Albanese announced the plan as “part of a coordinated global effort building momentum for a two-state solution”.
While in the US, Albanese is expected to meet with Trump, after his previous plans to talk to the president at the G7 Summit were halted as Trump departed the event a day early.
Lead images: Getty Images
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