World leaders risk a Trump backlash to turn on Israel
Netanyahu, however, has had few world leaders rallying to his side. Even Trump, who leads Israel's most vital ally, seemed unworried about Starmer's decision. Flying home from Scotland, he told reporters on Air Force One it was 'OK' that the United Kingdom was following France. 'It doesn't mean I have to agree,' he added.
While the diplomatic debates were about statehood, the urgent arguments were about aid.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Gaza was on the brink of famine: 'Palestinians in Gaza are enduring a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions.'
The UN estimated that more than 20,000 children had been treated for acute malnutrition. The World Food Program said more than 500,000 people, or about one quarter of the population in Gaza, were enduring famine-like conditions.
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This was the backdrop to the diplomatic manoeuvres. Early in the week, there was no sense of a penalty from Trump for those who spoke up for Palestine.
Macron was working with Saudi Arabia to advance a two-state solution at the UN. The French and Saudi foreign ministers jointly chaired a UN session in New York to step up the push.
On Tuesday, 15 nations backed a French call for a ceasefire in Gaza and a two-state solution. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong was among the signatories. The others were from Andorra, Canada, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia and Spain.
One day later, the Arab League moved. It condemned the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, the slaughter of civilians that led to the war. This declaration, also at the UN session in New York, marked the first condemnation of its kind from major Muslim nations.
Among the signatories were Qatar and Turkey, two vital states in the Hamas network. Qatar has given an estimated $2.6 billion to Hamas over the years, while Turkey has been a second home for some of the terrorist group's leaders.
The declaration set out a peace plan that appeared ambitious. After decades of conflict, it seemed to be an impossible hope. It sought an independent, demilitarised Palestine at peace with Israel – and with no place for Hamas.
'In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority,' it said. It was signed by the Arab League, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, the European Union, France, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Spain, Turkey and the UK.
Leaders were moving together. Macron spoke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday, along with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
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Starmer spoke to the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, on Tuesday. The Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, called on Monday for both Israel and Hamas to leave Gaza. Every step this week has seemed predicated on the idea that Abbas would administer Gaza – even though the two Palestinian zones are divided by Israel.
The push for Palestinian statehood had immense challenges: the absence of any agreed borders, the uncertainty about any elections to agree on a political leadership, the convenient assumption that Hamas would somehow leave Gaza. More than anything, however, it faced the unwavering rejection of Netanyahu and Trump.
Only after several days did Trump make his displeasure known. While he did not complain about Starmer – the two have a good relationship – he snapped at Mark Carney when the Canadian prime minister took a similar step to his British counterpart.
Carney moved after speaking with Starmer on Tuesday and Abbas on Wednesday, and he named similar concerns to France and the UK: the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and the lack of food in Gaza.
Carney, however, took a very different approach with the conditions he placed on Canada's decision to recognise a Palestinian state. He said a key factor would be whether the Palestinian Authority would commit to reform its own governance and demilitarise its territory. Both those objectives are easier said than done.
Trump reacted on his Truth Social account: 'Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them.'
The implications for Australia were immediate: Trump was willing to wield economic pressure on countries that did not follow his lead.
Even so, Trump was moving more slowly than the rest of the world. Germany, for instance, offered some support for its European neighbours on Thursday morning. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is a strong supporter of Israel, but his government showed its impatience with Israeli ministers who advocate the annexation of Palestinian territory.
Germany's Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, sent this signal before he boarded a flight to Jerusalem on Thursday. He noted that many countries in Europe were prepared to recognise a Palestinian state, but he repeated Germany's policy that this must depend on the process towards a two-state solution.
'That process must begin now,' he said. 'Should unilateral steps be taken, Germany, too, will be compelled to respond.' This last sentence hinted that Germany might yet shift its stance if Israel continues to claim Palestinian land.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has to weigh up the reaction from Trump as he considers whether to join the growing cluster of nations that are expressing their frustration with Netanyahu and his government. There are now 147 nations, of the 193 member states at the UN, that recognise Palestine. Albanese will have to decide whether Australia stands with Trump and Netanyahu, or with the long list of leaders heading in the other direction.
The images of children starving in Gaza have shifted the global debate. Even so, there should be no illusion that a vote on statehood in New York in September will somehow give those children aid. Everything has been about applying more pressure on Israel. There is no certainty that delivering a diplomatic blow will force its government to allow more food to reach the hungry.
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Netanyahu is increasingly isolated. Trump, his strongest ally, stands by him on the recognition of Palestine. But even Trump can see the starvation in Gaza. And most other world leaders are making their impatience clear – in call after call.
What we do not know is whether all their talk with force anyone to act.
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While passed motions do not bind governments or the federal party, votes by rank-and-file members are set for later in the day on the AUKUS defence agreement and Middle East. The grassroots resolutions call for action against the "military occupation, siege and genocide" in Palestine as well as withdrawing from AUKUS. A similar resolution on Palestine passed at the state conference in 2024 after the terror attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and the nation's subsequent military campaign in Gaza. Labor's official platform backs Palestinian statehood but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not set a timeline for implementing the policy and recently declared it not imminent. Housing Minister Clare O'Neil, Transport Minister Catherine King and Skills Minister Andrew Giles were among hundreds of federal and state MPs, party members and union officials at Saturday's gathering. 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Labor ultimately retained all of its Victorian seats and added MPs for Deakin, Menzies and Melbourne to its ballooning lower-house benches in Canberra. Tensions within the Labor movement over policies on the Middle East loom over a key party love-in, as focus turns to preparing for Australia's next state election. A handful of members staged a silent protest against Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles at the Victorian party's conference on Saturday, holding up images of Palestinian flags on their devices. While passed motions do not bind governments or the federal party, votes by rank-and-file members are set for later in the day on the AUKUS defence agreement and Middle East. The grassroots resolutions call for action against the "military occupation, siege and genocide" in Palestine as well as withdrawing from AUKUS. A similar resolution on Palestine passed at the state conference in 2024 after the terror attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and the nation's subsequent military campaign in Gaza. Labor's official platform backs Palestinian statehood but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not set a timeline for implementing the policy and recently declared it not imminent. Housing Minister Clare O'Neil, Transport Minister Catherine King and Skills Minister Andrew Giles were among hundreds of federal and state MPs, party members and union officials at Saturday's gathering. Mr Marles and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan were welcomed with standing ovations, with the latter's address firmly focused on the 2026 state election. Ms Allan promoted her newly unveiled plan to legalise the right to work from home while ramping up language favoured by Labor leaders, including referring to the opposition as "Tories" and "just Liberals". Mr Marles spent much of his speech thanking Labor members for efforts to secure the party's thumping federal election win, with uncontroversial motions discussed at the start of the day. A coalition of groups are set to rally outside the venue to oppose the "genocide in Gaza", forced administration of the CFMEU and incoming state protest laws. Security was tightened for the event after pro-Palestine protesters stormed the venue in 2024, with attendees this year forced to show tickets multiple times and tarps shielding public view. The 2024 security breach led to the conference floor being locked down and delayed speeches by Mr Albanese and Ms Allan, who has warned people not to bring their "extremist behaviour" to the 2025 conference. "If they want to join the Labor party and be part of the debate and discussion inside the room, that's how you make a difference," she said. A Victoria Police spokesperson said the force was prepared for protest action and ready to respond. The conference falls on the same weekend as the Garma Festival in the Northern Territory's remote northeast Arnhem Land. Mr Albanese is expected to attend the four-day event, with another senior leader to instead give the federal address to the state Labor faithful. With issues mounting after a decade in power, the Victorian Labor brand was viewed as a drag on the Albanese government's hopes for re-election in the lead-up to the May 3 poll. Labor ultimately retained all of its Victorian seats and added MPs for Deakin, Menzies and Melbourne to its ballooning lower-house benches in Canberra. Tensions within the Labor movement over policies on the Middle East loom over a key party love-in, as focus turns to preparing for Australia's next state election. A handful of members staged a silent protest against Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles at the Victorian party's conference on Saturday, holding up images of Palestinian flags on their devices. While passed motions do not bind governments or the federal party, votes by rank-and-file members are set for later in the day on the AUKUS defence agreement and Middle East. The grassroots resolutions call for action against the "military occupation, siege and genocide" in Palestine as well as withdrawing from AUKUS. A similar resolution on Palestine passed at the state conference in 2024 after the terror attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and the nation's subsequent military campaign in Gaza. Labor's official platform backs Palestinian statehood but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not set a timeline for implementing the policy and recently declared it not imminent. Housing Minister Clare O'Neil, Transport Minister Catherine King and Skills Minister Andrew Giles were among hundreds of federal and state MPs, party members and union officials at Saturday's gathering. Mr Marles and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan were welcomed with standing ovations, with the latter's address firmly focused on the 2026 state election. Ms Allan promoted her newly unveiled plan to legalise the right to work from home while ramping up language favoured by Labor leaders, including referring to the opposition as "Tories" and "just Liberals". Mr Marles spent much of his speech thanking Labor members for efforts to secure the party's thumping federal election win, with uncontroversial motions discussed at the start of the day. A coalition of groups are set to rally outside the venue to oppose the "genocide in Gaza", forced administration of the CFMEU and incoming state protest laws. Security was tightened for the event after pro-Palestine protesters stormed the venue in 2024, with attendees this year forced to show tickets multiple times and tarps shielding public view. The 2024 security breach led to the conference floor being locked down and delayed speeches by Mr Albanese and Ms Allan, who has warned people not to bring their "extremist behaviour" to the 2025 conference. "If they want to join the Labor party and be part of the debate and discussion inside the room, that's how you make a difference," she said. A Victoria Police spokesperson said the force was prepared for protest action and ready to respond. The conference falls on the same weekend as the Garma Festival in the Northern Territory's remote northeast Arnhem Land. Mr Albanese is expected to attend the four-day event, with another senior leader to instead give the federal address to the state Labor faithful. With issues mounting after a decade in power, the Victorian Labor brand was viewed as a drag on the Albanese government's hopes for re-election in the lead-up to the May 3 poll. Labor ultimately retained all of its Victorian seats and added MPs for Deakin, Menzies and Melbourne to its ballooning lower-house benches in Canberra.
