Muslim leaders reveal Albanese said Palestinian recognition a first-term ‘priority’

Anthony Albanese promised recognition of a Palestinian state as a first-term priority for an incoming Labor government, according to leaders of two of Australia’s largest Muslim organisations.

In an online meeting held in the weeks leading up to the May 2022 election, Albanese stopped short of guaranteeing senior leaders from the Australian National Imams Council, the Islamic Council of Victoria and a handful of other organisations that recognition of Palestine would happen in the first term of his government.

Students protest over the war in Gaza.Credit: Eamon Gallagher

But a clear undertaking was given by the then-opposition leader, and leaders from those organisations are now warning that failure to deliver on Palestinian recognition could cost Labor votes at the next election.

Since Labor was elected, Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7 last year that killed about 1200 people and saw another 250 hostages taken. Israel has responded with a full-blown military campaign in the Gaza Strip targeting Hamas, with the death toll passing 40,000 people according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

The call for Labor to recognise a Palestinian state comes after opposition leader Peter Dutton last week called for Australia to stop taking all refugees from Gaza and raised concerns about inadequate vetting, triggering a political fight and an accusation by independent MP Zali Steggall that Dutton was racist.

Islamic Council of Victoria president Adel Salman, who was on the video call with the prime minister, said Albanese was asked if he would promise recognition of a Palestinian state if Labor won the election.

“He said it would be a priority for this [current] term, but didn’t make a promise to do it this term. His response was that ‘we will definitely look at it as a priority for an incoming Labor government’. But I think it was intentionally ambiguous,” he said.

“But if there was ever a time for Australians to recognise Palestine, it’s now. The context has shifted since then and it has been in Labor’s platform for years. Why is Australia different to Spain, Ireland, Finland, and all those other OECD countries who have recognised Palestine?

“There is a sense of disappointment, frustration and disillusionment with the position the Australian government has taken with the conflict in Gaza. Australia could and should be doing a lot more to pressure Israel over Gaza.”

Australian National Imams Council spokesman Bilal Rauf.

Australian National Imams Council legal adviser Bilal Rauf, who also was on the 2022 video call with the prime minister, said that “there was a general acceptance in the meeting that this would be given priority in the first term [of a Labor government]”.

“There is no doubt many people will take this [the failure to recognise Palestine] into account as one of many considerations [when they vote]. It’s important and will have some impact but it’s hard to quantify to what extent,” he said.

“There is a sense of disappointment that not enough has been done, it hasn’t been prosecuted with the vigour we want and expect given the urgency and the dire situation of Palestine.”

Last week, pro-Palestinian candidate and western Sydney doctor Ziad Basyouny announced he will run as an independent to challenge cabinet minister Tony Burke in his seat of Watson at the next election, and more pro-Palestinian candidates are expected in the weeks and months ahead.

In a statement, the prime minister did not say what undertakings he had given Muslim leaders but said his government “supports recognition of a Palestinian state as part of a peace process in support of a two-state solution and an enduring peace”.

“We continue to work with the United States and like-minded countries including New Zealand and Canada to support not just a ceasefire but a lasting solution to the conflict in the Middle East with peace, security and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians,” Albanese said.

Since coming to government, Labor has dropped recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, backed Palestinian recognition at the UN, and increased funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

In an opinion piece published on Sunday, Dutton accused Albanese of allowing a “rushed and reckless” program to grant visas to Gazans, failing to keep Australians safe and suggested Hamas sympathisers may have been allowed into Australia.

Albanese said Dutton played politics “at every opportunity” and was trying to whip up fear in the community.

“I think people will make their own judgment about Peter Dutton. He’s always looking to divide, never looking to bring Australians together,” he said.

In April, Foreign Minister Penny Wong gave a major speech that suggested Australia could recognise a Palestinian state without waiting for years of talks with Israel over a two-state solution.

It has been official Labor Party policy since 2018 to recognise Palestine as a state, although the timing of such a move would always be up to cabinet.

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