Anthony Albanese has requested a phone call with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, as Aus ponders Palestinian statehood

Anthony Albanese is seeking a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the government weighs up whether it will join international allies to recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly. The Prime Minister is yet to confirm the move, despite the UK, France, and Canada all indicating they will make such a call. Mr Albanese has sought a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – something praised by Senior Coalition frontbencher Dan Tehan, who says current Australian-Israel relations have “clearly been lacking” since the October 7 attacks in relation to communications at a “prime ministerial level and a senior ministerial level”. “Any dialogue which will enable both governments to put their case, and my hope is that the Prime Minister will be open to listening to Benjamin Netanyahu, so that he can get an Israeli view of what is happening on the ground and what they’re trying to do to bring peace to Gaza,” he told Sky. Earlier, Sussan Ley told the ABC that the Coalition would only support the formal recognition of Palestinian statehood once “peace” had been achieved, meaning Hamas would need to surrender and release the hostages. “Everyone wants to see this war end … Everyone wants to say the bloodshed stop. Everyone wants to see critical food aid get to Gazans who desperately need it, and I’m pleased to see that that’s happening,” she said. “But this is critical – the war could end tomorrow if Hamas surrenders and releases the hostages.” The Prime Minister’s potential call with Mr Netanyahu comes as Mr Albanese faces growing international pressure to recognising Palestinian statehood, with the UK and Canada joining France this week. This follows global condemnation of Israel for the starvation and the withholding of aid from Gazan civilians, something Mr Netanyahu has rejected and labelled a “bold-faced lie”. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who Mr Albanese has been in contact with since the announcement, said the UK would support the motion unless Israel “takes substantive steps to ed the appalling situation in Gaza and agrees to a ceasefire”. Canadian Prime Minister while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his position was incumbent on While Australia supports a two-state solution, acknowledging Palestine’s statehood could not be “just a gesture,” but done to forward the peaceful existence of Israel and Palestine. Speaking to the ABC on Thursday, he said Australia would only be able to make that statement “once,” adding that “once you make that declaration, you lose your capacity to negotiate and to influence outcomes to some extent”. “We won’t be driven by a time frame. What we’ll be driven by is when the recognition of Palestine can make a contribution to the creation of two states,” he said. “We think that arising out of what is a crisis, the world needs to look at the opportunity that there is not just to solve the current crisis, but how do we create security for both the state of Israel and the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians for their own state to be realised.”