The pro-Israel lobby has warned Labor figures against any factional deal at the upcoming ALP national conference to “prematurely” recognise a Palestinian state in return for party unity on the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine plan.
Australia Israel and Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said he was concerned Labor’s Socialist Left would try to “extort” the party at the Brisbane conference next month, threatening to embarrass Anthony Albanese on AUKUS to secure a timeline for recognising Palestine.
The Prime Minister told Labor’s powerful policy forum two weeks ago he wanted the nuclear submarine plan to go unchallenged at the conference.
“The ALP Left have a proud history of challenging bad policy at ALP Nat Conference,” Mr Cameron tweeted.
“Political discipline does not mean the Left subjugate themselves to leadership decrees on what can be debated.”
But supporters of Israel fear a rerun of this month’s Victorian ALP conference, where a motion was carried calling for a timeline on recognising Palestine in a suspected deal that saw a motion critical of AUKUS pulled at the last minute.
Dr Rubenstein said any ALP commitment to unilaterally recognising a Palestinian state would place Australia out of step with key allies, and would undermine prospects for a peaceful solution on the issue.
“It would be especially concerning if the Socialist Left faction was to try to extort the rest of the party, including the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, by linking its position on the Palestinians, driven by its anti-Israel ideology, to AUKUS,” he said.
Read the article by Ben Packham in The Australian.