Israel-Australia fallout: Netanyahu says PM is inviting ‘more terrorism’ after UN backflip, Labor responds

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has stressed Australia remains a “close friend” of Israel after the office of Benjamin Netanyahu strongly criticised the Albanese government over its promotion of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations.

The Israeli comments followed Australia’s vote earlier this week in favour of Israel withdrawing its “unlawful presence” from the West Bank, Gaza and eastern Jerusalem, marking a two-decade change in Canberra’s position on the matter.

The resolution, which passed by 157-8, also called for settlers to be removed from the West Bank and for a New York conference next June to chart an “irreversible pathway” ­towards a Palestinian state.

The office of the Israeli leader told the Australian newspaper these actions were ­rewards for terrorism and suggested Australia may no longer be a “key ally” of the Jewish state.

It said the “disappointing” change in position at the UN would undoubtedly “invite more terrorism” and “more anti-Semitic riots” on Western campuses and city centres, “including in Australia”.

“I don’t accept that at all,” Mr Marles told ABC Radio National Breakfast.

“All we are doing in expressing our voice in the United Nations, is to support Israel, but is also to support a two-state solution.”

Mr Marles said Australia’s position had been consistent through a “whole suite of UN resolutions” over a long period of time and that there was “nothing new” in Canberra’s support of a two-state solution.

“We remain a close friend of Israel, as we have been…we don’t see that there is any change in in our friendship, our relationship, our support for Israel, nor is there any change in our support for pursuing a two-state solution. that’s been the bipartisan policy of our nation for decades,” he said.

“The way in which we vote in the United Nations seeks to give expression to that…so really trying to give expression to a view that we very much support Israel, but we support a two-state solution, and that ultimately does mean the establishment of a Palestinian state,” he added.

A separate UN vote this week calling on Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights, which was part of Syria until 1967, was not supported. Australia ­abstained from a third vote.

At a press conference in New Zealand, Foreign Minister Penny Wong backed Mr Marles’ comments on Australia’s position and efforts to see an end to the cycle of violence in the Middle East, saying that recognition of a two-state solution could contribute to peace.

“We’ve been clear that Palestinian civilians cannot continue to pay the price of defeating Hamas,” she said, adding that Australia was concerned that a year after an overwhelming majority of countries had voted for a ceasefire, tens of thousands more had been killed.