Penny Wong says she shares frustration of ‘great majority of countries’ about a lack of progress to recognise a Palestinian state
Isn’t it about time Australia uses ‘actions’ instead of just words – how about banning all goods / weapons made in Israel or by Israeli Companies – or throw their diplomatic staff out and close the embassy – this may start a real peace process off – Mark
Australia has suggested the world should set “a clear timeline for the international declaration of Palestinian statehood” in a sign of increasing frustration about the stalled peace process.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, will float the idea in a speech to the UN general assembly in New York on Saturday Australian time (Friday US time). Benjamin Netanyahu was also due to address the gathering amid mounting concern about an escalating regional war.
Wong will tell the general assembly that “every country in this room” must abide by the rules of war, and Israel “must comply with the binding orders of the international court of justice”, according to speech remarks distributed to media in advance.
Wong will say the Hamas-led attacks on Israel nearly one year ago “cannot and should not be justified” and the group must release all Israeli hostages.
But she will say 11,000 Palestinian children have been killed and two million people in Gaza face acute food insecurity in the resulting war. “This must end,” Wong will say.
“All lives have equal value.”
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