Victorian Labor has set up a showdown over Israeli-Palestinian policy at the ALP national conference in August by passing a motion demanding the Albanese government immediately recognise Palestine as a state.
It did so as a separate motion criticising the AUKUS trilateral security pact was pulled at the last minute from the Victorian State Labor conference on Sunday, under a deal by factional bosses to defer debate until the national conference in Brisbane.
With the pro-Palestine, anti-AUKUS Left faction having the numbers on the floor of the national conference for the first time in decades, sources said a deal would have to be done to stop any motion critical of AUKUS passing and embarrassing the Albanese government.
This, however, could include a policy shift on Israel. For the first time, the Victorian conference passed a motion supporting the recognition of the Palestinian state during this term of parliament, and those behind it will push for a similar motion at the national conference.
The motion, as passed, “calls on the Albanese Labor government to recognise the Palestinian state within the term of this parliament, joining with 138 countries, and the Vatican, which have already done so”.
Previous attempts at such a motion in Victoria have been blocked by the Right with the backing of the pro-Israel lobby.
Currently, Australia recognises the right of Israel and Palestine to exist as two states within secure and recognised borders.
Read the article by Phillip Coorey in the Financial Review.