Latest news with #Palestinian state
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Opinion: Starmer right to reject demands to recognise Palestinian state
When the Prime Minister meets Donald Trump in Scotland today they will have many more pressing matters to discuss than the American President's golf swing. Gaza faces the prospect of mass starvation. The decision of Israel 's government on Saturday night to let in limited humanitarian aid will provide some relief but the crisis certainly hasn't passed. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is besieged by Cabinet ministers led by Deputy PM Angela Rayner , plus scores of Labour MPs. They want him to recognise a Palestinian state. Last week President Macron announced that France will do so in September. How will Starmer respond to these challenges? I hesitate to say this, but it seems to me that our normally accident-prone Prime Minister has hitherto acted in a surprisingly sensible way as far as Gaza is concerned. He was right on Saturday to say that Britain will work with Jordan to drop aid into Gaza by air, ignoring the reservations of the United Nations and many aid agencies, which say that lorries can deliver much more food than air drops. Surely aid must be sent by whatever means possible, and for as long as too little aid is being distributed in Gaza it makes sense to drop some of it by air even if this involves some danger. Starmer was also right to offer to evacuate children from Gaza who need urgent medical attention, and could get it in Britain. Let's hope this happens. The PM is wise, too, to resist calls to recognise a Palestinian state now. There are several strong arguments against doing so. The strongest of them all is that the President of the United States is adamantly opposed. We may not like it, but the truth is that Britain has minimal direct influence over the Israeli government despite having ruled Palestine from 1917 to 1947, and paved the way for the creation of the state of Israel through the Balfour Declaration. The only government in the world that has appreciable influence over Israel is that of the United States. The only foreign leader to whom the belligerent, hard-hearted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will listen is President Donald Trump. President Macron may have got a kick out of recognising a Palestinian state, but it was classic virtue signalling that will change nothing on the ground and deprive France of any slight influence it might otherwise have enjoyed. Almost the only way Starmer can apply pressure on Israel is through the good offices of Trump. The American President alone is capable of encouraging Netanyahu to resume ceasefire talks with Hamas. Far more than any other leader, Trump may be able to persuade the Israelis to show mercy towards starving civilians in Gaza. You may say he doesn't care but I doubt that. He sees himself as a man of peace. He is often glued to television news, and has probably been as appalled as the rest of us by pictures of emaciated children. It's also increasingly clear that the Trump administration doesn't have a starry-eyed view of the Israeli government. For example, it has demanded an explanation for the recent killing of a Palestinian-American by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. The US ambassador to Jerusalem, Mike Huckabee, who is no liberal, called it a 'criminal and terrorist act'. There's a chance that Sir Keir can persuade Donald Trump that he should be a more critical friend of Israel than he has been. Events may already be pushing him in that direction. We should remember too – and here we must suppress all astonishment – that Trump seems genuinely to like the British Prime Minister. On arriving in Scotland on Friday, he actually said as much. Starmer knows that the one thing that would destroy such sway as he may hold over Trump's mercurial mind would be recognition by Britain of a Palestinian state. That remains a red line for the President, and rightly so. His grasp of Middle Eastern politics may not be enormous but it extends to a realisation that Israel can't be expected to recognise a state whose rulers might include Hamas. Until or unless Hamas is extirpated, the group remains in charge of what remains of Gaza, which would form part of any future Palestinian state. After the barbarities of October 7, 2023, when some 1,200 Israelis were butchered by terrorists, no Israeli government will countenance Hamas continuing in power. That would rightly be seen as a reward for its atrocities. Perhaps some time in the future – if Hamas no longer exists – there will be a Palestinian state living peaceably alongside Israel. I certainly hope so. It is a dream that several Israeli leaders have shared in the recent past. Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert reiterated his support for a Palestinian state on Radio 4 yesterday morning. He has recently accused Netanyahu's government of committing war crimes, and said yesterday that it should have acted sooner to alleviate famine in Gaza. Not all Israeli politicians are monsters. Believe it or not, Netanyahu himself, although historically opposed to a Palestinian state, made a speech in 2009 that conceived of such an entity so long as it was demilitarised and restricted in size, though admittedly he said this under pressure from President Obama's liberal administration. Even former prime minister Ariel Sharon, who was a pretty rough diamond to put it mildly, in 2003 accepted in principle the idea of a demilitarised Palestinian state. It was he, of course, who forced Israeli settlers to leave Gaza in 2005. Two years later, Hamas was firing rockets and mortar shells into southern Israel. It is by no means inconceivable that a future Israeli government will acknowledge a Palestinian state. It is just more difficult to imagine after what happened on October 7 – and impossible to envisage as long as Hamas remains part of the equation. So Sir Keir Starmer is absolutely right not to cave into Labour demands for instant recognition. He will be able to work on Donald Trump today, and when they meet again during the President's state visit in September, and try to persuade him to exert more pressure on the obdurate Netanyahu. Whether the Prime Minister will hold the line for long is much less certain. After all, he is a master of the U-turn, having changed his mind over the winter fuel allowance, welfare reform and a string of other policies.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Ministers to gather at UN for Saudi, France- led conference on Israel, Palestinians
Dozens of ministers will gather at the United Nations on Monday for a delayed conference to work toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, but the US and Israel are boycotting the event. The 193-member UN General Assembly decided in September last year that such a conference would be held in 2025. Hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, the conference was postponed in June after Israel attacked Iran. The conference aims to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told newspaper La Tribune Dimanche in an interview published on Sunday that he will also use the conference this week to push other countries to join France in recognizing a Palestinian state. France intends to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said last week. 'We will launch an appeal in New York so that other countries join us to initiate an even more ambitious and demanding dynamic that will culminate on September 21,' Barrot said, adding that he expected Arab countries by then to condemn Palestinian militants Hamas and call for their disarmament. The conference comes as Israel continues its 22-month war on Gaza. Israel launched the war after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on its southern border. Since then, Israel has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. The US will not attend the conference at the United Nations, said a State Department spokesperson, describing it as 'a gift to Hamas, which continues to reject ceasefire proposals accepted by Israel that would lead to the release of hostages and bring calm in Gaza.' The State Department spokesperson added that Washington voted against the General Assembly last year calling for the conference and would 'not support actions that jeopardize the prospect for a long-term, peaceful resolution to the conflict.' Israel is also not taking part in the conference, 'which doesn't first urgently address the issue of condemning Hamas and returning all of the remaining hostages,' said Jonathan Harounoff, international spokesperson at Israel's UN mission. The UN has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war with neighboring Arab states. The UN General Assembly in May last year overwhelmingly backed a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and recommending the UN Security Council 'reconsider the matter favorably.' The resolution garnered 143 votes in favor and nine against. The General Assembly vote was a global survey of support for the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member - a move that would effectively recognize a Palestinian state - after the US vetoed it in the UN Security Council several weeks earlier.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Starmer to recall cabinet from summer recess as he faces pressure to back Palestinian state as humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens
Sir Keir Starmer will recall his Cabinet from summer recess this week to hold talks on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Prime Minister is under pressure to follow French president Emmanuel Macron in recognising a Palestinian state as horror continues to mount over the conflict. Sir Keir has so far resisted the calls, saying it should instead come as part of a wider peace process, with senior Labour figures saying he fears upsetting the US. The PM is expected to use his relationship with Donald Trump to push for Washington to restart ceasefire talks when they meet in Scotland today. But more than 200 MPs have urged him to immediately recognise a Palestinian state. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan are said to be among those urging the PM to move on the issue. Labour pledged to do so in their manifesto and government officials say it is a question of 'when, not if'. Referring to his meeting with Sir Keir, President Trump said yesterday: 'We'll be discussing that [a ceasefire agreement]. I think we're going to be discussing a lot about Israel. 'They're very much involved in terms of wanting something to happen. [Starmer] is doing a very good job, by the way.' But Sir Keir faces another backbench rebellion after recess as the Scottish National Party has said it will table a 'Palestine Recognition Bill' if he does not change tack, which could see his own party vote with the SNP. It comes as Israel introduced daily pauses to fighting in parts of Gaza to open up humanitarian corridors following international horror at images of starvation. The IDF yesterday stopped some operations from 10am to 8pm to help get aid in. Leaders have committed to continue the ten-hour 'tactical pauses' every day until further notice following pressure from Israel's allies. Britain is among countries backing airdrops of aid, including flour, sugar and canned food, with Israel, Jordan and the UAE running the flights. It is the first time the Israeli Air Force has carried out aid drops during the conflict. Meanwhile, the IDF has also designated 'secure routes' from 6am to 11pm to enable the 'safe passage of UN and humanitarian aid organisation convoys delivering and distributing food and medicine across the Gaza Strip'. But doctors and aid workers on the ground warned a full ceasefire is needed to stop the 'mass starvation'. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry claims six more people have died from malnutrition – bringing the total to 133, including 87 children. It also alleged nine Palestinians were killed and 54 injured at an aid convoy route in central Gaza. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said tactical pauses 'alone cannot alleviate the needs of those desperately suffering in Gaza'.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Morning Mail: call for action on childcare abuse, Labor division on Palestine statehood, Oscar Piastri wins in Belgium
Good morning. After thousands of reports of abuse in Australian childcare centres, parents and experts say the system needs urgent reform to bridge the gap between allegation and action. As images of emaciated children in Gaza haunt the world, we reveal that Labor leaders will face intense pressure from party members at its Victoria conference to 'immediately' recognise a Palestinian state. And there's been a statement of intent from Oscar Piastri after he prevailed to win a rain-interrupted Belgian F1 Grand Prix. Exclusive | Labor party members will push for an 'immediate' federal recognition of a Palestinian state, in a series of resolutions due to be tabled at the Victorian state conference this weekend. Childcare abuse | New data suggests that shortcomings in the childcare system mean most complaints about sexual misconduct by childcare workers are ultimately dismissed – and alleged perpetrators keep working. Uni fees criticism | As the cost of humanities degrees balloons to more than $50,000, author Tim Winton is among 100 high-profile Australians calling for fees that don't 'punish' arts students. Left at the station | NSW has just recorded its worst year for on-time running for Sydney trains – and since July, one in three intercity trains have failed to meet punctuality benchmarks. 'We want women to have role models' | A recruitment campaign with roles reserved solely for women has been launched at the University of Sydney faculty where fewer than one in five academics are female. Gaza crisis | Malnutrition in Gaza on a 'dangerous trajectory', says the WHO, as airdrops of aid resume; Palestinians are wary as Israel begins 'military pauses' after Benjamin Netanyahu says 'minimal' aid will be let into Gaza. Thailand-Cambodia dispute | Both sides have launched fresh attacks in their deadly border dispute, but leaders will meet in Malaysia for talks to end hostilities after pressure from the US. Trump tariffs | Donald Trump has announced a tariff deal with the EU to end four months of difficult negotiations between Washington and Brussels and the prospect of a damaging transatlantic trade war. Jeffrey Epstein files | The US House speaker, Mike Johnson, says he would have 'great pause' about granting a pardon to Ghislaine Maxwell; will Maxwell's testimony be believed?, asks Victoria Bekiempis. Wildfire threat | Thousands of people in Greece and Turkey have been forced to evacuate homes as firefighters in the countries battled to contain wildfires fanned by strong winds and searing heat. Is Trump building a political dynasty? The US has had its fair share of political dynasties – the Bushes, the Clintons, the Kennedys. But has Donald Trump been quietly moulding his own family to become a political force long after he leaves office? In this first episode of a special series, Gwenda Blair, Rosie Gray and Ashley Parker introduce us to the family members who helped Trump reach the White House – and ask who could end up his successor. Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen $ Images of emaciated, skeletal children in Gaza landed on news outlets' front pages last week. It seemed to shake some world leaders and ordinary citizens out of a stupor. Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong have condemned the killing of Palestinian civilians – but say Australia is not a major player in the Middle East. Now, as Josh Butler outlines, there are calls for the government to do more amid growing outrage within Labor ranks. The Ukrainian-Australian concert pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk will make his debut appearance with the Australian Chamber Orchestra this week, playing Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No 1 and George Gershwin's joyful Rhapsody in Blue in 'a masterstroke in programming'. The piano virtuoso speaks to Kelly Burke about childhood in post-Soviet Ukraine, getting too attracted to Sydney, and why music should not be a competition – but a uniting force. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Motorsport | Australia's Oscar Piastri eased away from McLaren teammate Lando Norris to win a rain-hit Belgian F1 Grand Prix in Spa. AFL | The Gold Coast Suns finally look like they belong with the AFL's big boys, Jonathan Horn writes. Football | England beat Spain on penalties in the final of the Women's Euro 2025, defending their title in dramatic fashion. Cycling | Tadej Pogačar reigns again in Paris after winning the Tour de France for fourth time; Mavi García takes stage two of the Tour de France Femmes. Rugby union | Andy Farrell's Lions stand on the verge of all-time greatness as they eye an Australia clean sweep, Robert Kitson writes. Cricket | Cameron Green and Josh Inglis continued their hot T20 form as Australia beat the West Indies again. Councils that run some of the most popular beaches in the country have been asked by the NSW government to join a trial to remove shark nets, ABC News reports. NSW has lost more than 45,000 jobs in the past two months, the Sydney Morning Herald reports, with some Sydney regions being hit disproportionately hard. Victoria's new police chief could be on a collision course with the police union after ruling out pushing for protest permits, the Age reports. Some South Australian businesses are 'on their knees' amid the toxic algal bloom, the Advertiser reports. NSW | The United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell is scheduled to speak in Sydney today. Sport | Hopes are high for Australian swimmers at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland. And finally, here are the Guardian's crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword
SBS Australia
3 days ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Albanese says Israel 'clearly' in breach of international law amid starvation in Gaza
The prime minister says it was a breach of international law to "stop food being delivered" which he said was an Israeli decision. Albanese said a decision would be made at an "appropriate time" on recognising a Palestinian state. Israel has allowed some aid to flow into Gaza as an estimated 2 million people face mass hunger. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Israel is "quite clearly" breaching international law by preventing aid deliveries into the besieged Gaza Strip. But he said Australia would not follow the likes of France and recognise a Palestinian state at an upcoming United Nations conference. In one of his strongest statements yet on the issue, Albanese said scenes of starvation in Gaza "break your heart", singling out a picture of an emaciated one year old boy, Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, that was widely published around the world last week. Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, a 1.5-year-old child in Gaza, faces life-threatening malnutrition as the humanitarian situation worsens due to ongoing Israeli attacks and blockade. Source: Getty / Anadolu / Getty Images He said civilian casualties and death in Gaza was "completely unacceptable" and "completely indefensible". "Quite clearly, it is a breach of international law to stop food being delivered which was a decision that Israel made in March," he told the ABC's Insiders program on Sunday. "I'm not a lawyer, those things will play out their course, but I tell you what it's a breach of - it's a breach of decent humanity and of morality and everyone can see that. "I'm a supporter of Israel and Israel's right to defend itself, but that boy isn't challenging Israel's right to existence, and nor are the many who continue to suffer from the unavailability of food and water." Albanese said that he is a "supporter of Israel" and its right to "defend itself", saying that Hamas was holding not just Israelis hostage but also Palestinians. But he said international law states innocent people should not be held responsible for the actions of Hamas. "Israel as a democratic state has a responsibility to ensure that innocent lives are not lost, and we have seen too many Israeli and Palestinian lives lost." Australia won't yet recognise a Palestinian state The prime minister moved on to discuss how the war could come to an end, citing his support for a two-state solution. When asked about whether his support for a two-state solution extends to recognising a Palestinian state, Albanese said a decision would be made at an "appropriate time". "What we will do is we'll make a decision based upon the time. Is the time right now? Are we about to imminently do that? No, we are not." The prime minister listed his concerns about recognition, questioning how it would reduce Hamas' involvement in a Palestinian state and how such a state could exist and not threaten Israel's sovereignty. "We won't do any decision as a gesture. We will do it as a way forward if the circumstances are met," he said. Albanese said Australia is prepared to play a "constructive role" but has minimal influence as a "middle power" in global politics. He flagged that the United States would have a "critical role" to play as it has been an intermediary during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Air drops of aid to resume International aid organisations say mass hunger has now arrived among Gaza's 2.2 million people, with stocks running out after Israel cut off all supplies to the territory in March, then reopened it in May but with different restrictions. Israel said it resumed aid airdrops to Gaza on Saturday and was taking several other steps to ease the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, amid mounting international pressure and warnings from relief agencies of starvation spreading there. The Israeli military said "humanitarian corridors" would be established for the safe movement of United Nations convoys delivering aid to Gazans and that "humanitarian pauses" would be implemented in densely populated areas. Albanese described Israel's allowance of aid airdrops and convoys as a "start" but that the civilian casualties in Gaza are "completely indefensible". On Wednesday, it was reported 15 people, including a six-week-old baby, starved to death in 24 hours in Gaza, according to doctors, linking this to a wave of hunger that persisted for months. Additional reporting by the Reuters News Agency.
