Parliament Votes Against Green Motion to Recognize Palestinian State
The motion to recognize a Palestinian state was rejected by a vote of 80 to five.
The leader of the Australian Greens criticized Labor for not supporting the motion.
On May 29, Melbourne MP Adam Bandt introduced the motion in the Australian House of Representatives.
The motion, seconded by Griffith Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather, was defeated with 80 votes against and five in favor.
Independent member for Clark Andrew Wilkie sided with the Greens in supporting the motion.
Following the dismissal of the motion, Mr. Bandt expressed disappointment in Labor’s decision.
He highlighted how other countries have recognized the state of Palestine, contrasting Labor’s stance to Peter Dutton’s.
Mr. Bandt argued that recognizing Palestine would be a step against the “horrific invasion” of Gaza by Israel.
He believed that the recognition should have happened earlier but emphasized the importance of doing so now.
Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts accused the Greens of engaging in “wedge” politics by setting up a vote likely to fail.
