Speaker 1: Already and this is the Daily This is the Daily OS.
Speaker 2: Oh, now it makes sense.
Speaker 1: Good morning and welcome to the Daily OS. It's Tuesday,
Speaker 1: the twenty third of September.
Speaker 2: I'm Lucy Tassel, I'm Emma Gillespie.
Speaker 1: Early on Monday morning, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanesi announced
Speaker 1: the government had recognized the State of Palestine. Albanezi joined
Speaker 1: the heads of Canada and the UK in making the
Speaker 1: announcement ahead of the UN General Assembly in New York
Speaker 1: City this week. Then early this morning, countries met at
Speaker 1: the UN to discuss the future of the two State solution.
Speaker 1: In today's podcast, we'll explain what it means to recognize
Speaker 1: the State of Palestine and how it relates to the
Speaker 1: two state approach.
Speaker 2: We'll get into that right after a quick word from
Speaker 2: today's sponsor Lucy. We have known for a couple of
Speaker 2: months now that Australia was going to recognize the State
Speaker 2: of Palestine at the UN General Assembly this week, but
Speaker 2: we didn't exactly know how it would play out, what
Speaker 2: that would look like. I had kind of assumed up
Speaker 2: until this week that it would be a speech on
Speaker 2: the floor of the UN in front of all the
Speaker 2: world leaders of the General Assembly, but instead, at least
Speaker 2: for Australia's part, it played out in a statement at
Speaker 2: first that was released from New York by the Prime
Speaker 2: Minister over the weekend. There is a lot to unpacking
Speaker 2: today's episode, but I think a good place to start
Speaker 2: is probably with that statement and Australia's kind of pledge here.
Speaker 1: Yeah, so we've known since July basically that these are
Speaker 1: the government's plans. Back then, the government followed announcements from France,
Speaker 1: the UK and Canada and committing to recognizing the state
Speaker 1: of Palestine in September. It's now September. In July, Albanizi
Speaker 1: said the process was necessary to ensure lasting peace in
Speaker 1: the region, and he echoed those comments with his statement
Speaker 1: on Monday, saying a two state solution with Israeli and
Speaker 1: Palestinian states quote has always been the only path to
Speaker 1: enduring peace and security for the Israeli and the Palestinian peoples.
Speaker 1: And he noted that Australia's recognition came with some what
Speaker 1: he called requirements, so ensuring that Hamas, which Australia lists
Speaker 1: as a terrorist organization, has no role in the state
Speaker 1: and HAMAS has run Gaza since the two thousands.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker 1: He also said he'd received assurances from the Palestinian Authority,
Speaker 1: which governs parts of the West Bank, that it would
Speaker 1: hold democratic elections and carry out reforms.
Speaker 2: So a lot of stakeholders that you've introduced their lucy,
Speaker 2: not just Australia, but also the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank, Gaza.
Speaker 2: Are those the territories that Australia now considers the state
Speaker 2: of Palestine.
Speaker 1: I believe so, although I'll note that none of the
Speaker 1: government's statements have said this explicitly. To find out more,
Speaker 1: I went to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trades website,
Speaker 1: which until now has had a page for the occupied
Speaker 1: Palestinian territories. If you click on that, it redirects you
Speaker 1: to a page simply titled Palestine.
Speaker 2: So that's new.
Speaker 1: That's new, And then if you follow I confirmed this
Speaker 1: also on the web archive, if you follow a link
Speaker 1: on that page to Smart Traveler, which is defat's travel
Speaker 1: advice website for Australians. It also is titled Palestine, and
Speaker 1: it has a new map that you can view, and
Speaker 1: that map highlights Israel in one color and Palestine in another. Color,
Speaker 1: and it has lines clearly delineating what Australia's government now
Speaker 1: considers to be these two states. And so the Palestine
Speaker 1: part is as of now, the West Bank and Gaza.
Speaker 2: Okay, Lucy, I know this is a complicated question, but
Speaker 2: to help our audience understand a little bit more about
Speaker 2: the context behind all of this, how did these areas,
Speaker 2: so Gaza and the West Bank come to be known
Speaker 2: as the occupy Palestinian territory while Israel is a nation.
Speaker 1: Well, where to begin? I have to pick somewhere to begin.
Speaker 1: And something that we've talked about a lot over the
Speaker 1: last couple of months in the office is sort of
Speaker 1: this idea that you could write a book about how
Speaker 1: this happened and still not cover every detail. But I'll
Speaker 1: start somewhere, and that somewhere is World War One. So
Speaker 1: during World War One, Britain and France believed that the
Speaker 1: Ottoman Empire, which then existed and controlled much of the
Speaker 1: modern Middle East and was opposed to them in the war,
Speaker 1: would crumble. So they believed that this was an eventuality
Speaker 1: that was going to happen. They signed a secret agreement
Speaker 1: to divide up the Ottoman Empire and at the same time,
Speaker 1: Britain promised independence to Arab communities that fought with it
Speaker 1: during the war, and around that time, Britain made a
Speaker 1: commitment to create quote a national home for the Jewish
Speaker 1: people in Palestine. So we've got these kind of like
Speaker 1: side by side promises.
Speaker 2: Okay, side by side promises that would ultimately be conflicting
Speaker 2: led by Britain and France at the fall of the
Speaker 2: Ottoman Empire.
Speaker 1: Yes after the war, there was the creation of the
Speaker 1: League of Nations, which is the precursor to the UN.
Speaker 1: It agreed that Britain would carry out its previous commitment
Speaker 1: to create this quote home in Palestine, and it also
Speaker 1: required Britain to commit to avoiding anything which quote might
Speaker 1: prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non Jewish
Speaker 1: communities in Palestine. After World War Two and the Holocaust,
Speaker 1: when the United Nations was created, Britain brought what it
Speaker 1: was now calling the Palestinian Question to the UN, which
Speaker 1: was that there were these different commitments that it had
Speaker 1: made over the same piece of land. The new organization
Speaker 1: voted to end British rule and split Palestine into a
Speaker 1: Jewish state and an Arab state. Israel then declared its
Speaker 1: independence in nineteen forty eight. There has been ongoing violence
Speaker 1: and war in the region was before and it continues,
Speaker 1: causing the mass displacement of Palestinians. Attempts to negotiate a
Speaker 1: two state solution in line with what the UN voted
Speaker 1: on have failed. Israel has since violently taken control of
Speaker 1: the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Under international law, these
Speaker 1: are known as the occupied Palestinian territories.
Speaker 2: Now that is a very brief, broad snapshot of the
Speaker 2: last say, seventy years. What about the status quo today
Speaker 2: in terms of those territories, in terms of the West
Speaker 2: Bank and Gaza.
Speaker 1: Yeah, so today the Palestinian authority governs some of the
Speaker 1: West Bank, while Hamas runs Gaza. The Israeli government recently
Speaker 1: approved plans to expand their settlements in the West Bank, which,
Speaker 1: as I said, are considered illegal under international law. UN
Speaker 1: spokesperson Stefan Dujeriq said this would be quote an existential
Speaker 1: threat to the two state solution.
Speaker 2: Okay, Now, the two state solution is something that you
Speaker 2: have mentioned a couple of times already. It's an idea
Speaker 2: that we hear about a lot in the coverage of
Speaker 2: this conflict. In this region. But what does that actually mean?
Speaker 2: What is a two state solution?
Speaker 1: So this has been interpreted as meaning what the UN
Speaker 1: originally voted for, which is a Jewish and a Palestinian
Speaker 1: state side by side in that territory. For many years,
Speaker 1: the US and its allies, including until now Australia, only
Speaker 1: planned to recognize the second of those two states after
Speaker 1: it reached a negotiated agreement with Israel. That has changed
Speaker 1: recently in light of Israel's ongoing campaign in Gaza, which
Speaker 1: a UN Human Rights committee found last week is a
Speaker 1: genocide against Palestinians.
Speaker 2: So that all sort of brings us to the present
Speaker 2: with Australia recognizing Palestine after many years of saying that
Speaker 2: it would not recognize Palestine until it reached a negotiation
Speaker 2: and agreement with Israel for that two state solution. But
Speaker 2: we have moved past that on the world stage as
Speaker 2: this conflict has escalated. What will happen next, I suppose
Speaker 2: for Australia specifically, what really kind of materially changes, if anything,
Speaker 2: now that Albanesi has declared that recognition right now?
Speaker 1: Not a lot. As I mentioned earlier, Australia says it
Speaker 1: has requirements for the Palestinian authority once those are in place.
Speaker 1: Albanesi's statements said, Australia will think about establishing a diplomatic
Speaker 1: relationship with this state that it's now recognized, and possibly
Speaker 1: open an embassy. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Speaker 1: has previously had an office in the West Bank.
Speaker 2: Okay, So when we say diplomatic relationship, that kind of
Speaker 2: opens up the doors for yeah, things like embassies, consulates,
Speaker 2: more negotiations, maybe trade and other kind of partnerships.
Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. And early this morning more countries have taken
Speaker 1: those steps towards recognition, including France.
Speaker 2: What has the reaction been, you know, we've known that
Speaker 2: this list of countries were going to make these declarations
Speaker 2: and announcements at the General Assembly this week, but now
Speaker 2: that it's actually happened, how has the world responded?
Speaker 1: From Israel, the Foreign Ministry said it quote categorically rejects
Speaker 1: the country's announcements, and Israeli authorities have said before that
Speaker 1: they consider recognizing Palestine to be rewarding humas. The Palestinian
Speaker 1: authority has welcomed the move, calling it a courageous decision
Speaker 1: in line with international law over here in Australia. Both
Speaker 1: the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network and the Executive Council of
Speaker 1: Australian Jury expressed displeasure with the announcement, although for different reasons.
Speaker 1: APAM said the decision quote remains well short of Australia's
Speaker 1: international moral and legal obligations to stop Israel's genocide. They're
Speaker 1: referring there to the UN Commission of Inquiry findings yep,
Speaker 1: which we also talked about on the pod last week.
Speaker 2: YEP. What about The Council of.
Speaker 1: Jury ECAJ criticized the announcement as and said it fails
Speaker 1: to make clear what will happen if the authority doesn't
Speaker 1: make the changes that Australia requires, or quote, if Hamas
Speaker 1: continues to control Palestinian territory. And from the Coalition, we've
Speaker 1: got a joint statement from Opposition Leader Susan Lee and
Speaker 1: Shadow Foreign Minister Mikhalia Cash saying the government had proceeded
Speaker 1: with recognition without what they called quote crucial conditions because
Speaker 1: they said Hamas is still in power in Gasa.
Speaker 2: Lucy, thank you so much for explaining that. I think
Speaker 2: there was a little bit of confusion maybe when you
Speaker 2: know Albanesi released that statement on Sunday ahead of the meeting.
Speaker 2: But I suppose we've got two kind of separate announcements
Speaker 2: here really. One is you know, how the Australian government
Speaker 2: will move forward in its relationship with Palestine. And then
Speaker 2: also this global collective of world leaders coming together on
Speaker 2: the floor of the UN to declare statehood, you know,
Speaker 2: at that level, this kind of global diplomacy moment. As
Speaker 2: we know, this story is ongoing, unfolding rapidly every week,
Speaker 2: and we will continue to keep you up to date
Speaker 2: here on the podcast. Thank you so much for listening
Speaker 2: to today's episode. That is all we have time for,
Speaker 2: but we'll be back a little later on with your
Speaker 2: evening news headlines. Until then, have a great day.
Speaker 1: My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda
Speaker 1: Bungelung Caalcuttin woman from Gadighl country. The Daily oz acknowledges
Speaker 1: that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the
Speaker 1: Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres
Speaker 1: Strait Island and nations. We pay our respects to the
Speaker 1: first peoples of these countries, both past and present,