Upper House backs change from Liberal MP Andrew McLachlan in Israel-Palestine debate, calls for new state only after striking peace deal

SOUTH Australia’s Upper House has rejected a push to immediately recognise a Palestinian state, after a last-minute change of heart from Nick Xenophon Team MP John Darley.

SA’s Lower House became the first jurisdiction in the nation to call for the recognition of a Palestinian state, as Labor used its number to force through a motion on Budget day.

It called for the Federal Government to “recognise the state of Palestine, as we have recognised the state of Israel, and announce the conditions and timelines to achieve such recognition”.

It comes amid a broader push within Labor to soften the party’s national platform’s longstanding support for Israel.

Opponents of the SA motion say it fails to require important concessions from Palestine, including ending programs such as pensions paid to families of suicide bombers.

Read the article by Daniel Wills, State Political Editor for The Advertiser.