Australia angers Israel with UN vote as US tells Netanyahu to change government

Sydney Morning Herald:





Australia angers Israel with UN vote as US tells Netanyahu to change government


The Australian government angered Israel and delighted Palestinian advocates yesterday by breaking with the United States to vote in favour of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza at a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. 

The decision – a surprise shift to the government’s previous stance that did not go to cabinet for approval – came as a shock to several senior ministers and was tightly held by a small group including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Wong insisted the government’s fundamental position on the war has not changed and it wants to see more negotiated pauses to allow for the return of hostages to Israel and the entry of aid into Gaza.

Prominent Jewish groups accused the government of creating “uncertainty and confusion” on the issue, and opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham, who is visiting Israel in a cross-party delegation, said it was “weak and appalling”. 

Palestinian advocates said it was a testament to the Australians who have been marching in the streets every weekend since October. Australia was among 153 nations to vote in favour of the ceasefire resolution, with 10 voting against – including the US and Israel – and 23 abstaining, including Britain and Germany. The resolution, which is non-binding but will put international pressure on Israel, also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages but did not condemn Hamas.

The latest: The UN vote came as disagreements between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spilled into public view. Biden warned Israel that it is losing international support for its campaign against Hamas due to “indiscriminate bombing” and urged Netanyahu to “change his government”. 

Netanyahu, meanwhile, rejected American plans for post-war Gaza. Biden wants the Palestinian Authority, which has administrative control over parts of the West Bank, to govern Gaza, but Netanyahu disagrees.

Photo: Photo: AP/Hatem Ali