Maria Vamvakinou with Bill Shorten

Netanyahu visit may be catalyst for Labor policy change on Palestine

Next week’s visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could provide the catalyst for a repositioning of Labor Party policy in relation to the Middle East peace process, federal MP Maria Vamvakinou says.

Ms Vamvakinou, who co-chairs the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine group, said former prime minister Bob Hawke had made a positive contribution by urging Australia to join the 137 countries that have already granted diplomatic recognition to the Palestinian state.

“Hopefully Mr Netanyahu’s visit may actually serve as a bit of a rallying point to encourage the party to proceed with the recognition of Palestine,” she said.

When he arrives next week, Mr Netanyahu will be the first sitting Israeli prime minister to visit Australia.

Writing in Monday’s The Australian Financial Review, Mr Hawke said he was dismayed at the Israeli parliament’s decision to retroactively legalise Jewish settlements in occupied territories.

“The least we can do now, in these most challenging of times … is grant diplomatic recognition to the state of Palestine,” he wrote.

But Mark Leibler, a senior partner at Arnold Bloch Leibler and chairman of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, challenged Mr Hawke’s comments.

“It has been Palestinian intransigence, not settlements, that has consistently stymied peace initiatives,” he said.

Read the full article by Joanna Mather at the Australian Financial Review.