Australia could reverse its recognition of a Palestinian state if there’s a change in government, the country’s Opposition Leader Sussan Ley told Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. Ley, who

leads the Liberal Party, made the comments during a recent conversation, which Sa’ar later shared on X (formerly Twitter).

Ley expressed disappointment with Australia’s recent move, saying it “breaks with bipartisanship” and sends the wrong message while Hamas still holds hostages and the conflict in Gaza continues. She emphasized that recognition should only come after a genuine two-state process and voiced concern for both the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the rising antisemitism in Australia.

She also expressed hope that the 48 remaining hostages in Gaza would be released and that fighting would stop.

Sa’ar welcomed Ley’s position and invited her to visit Israel. He also outlined Israel’s goals in the region and reassured her that efforts are ongoing to maintain humanitarian aid. “Israel is well aware of the many friends it has in Australia and distinguishes between the government and the people of Australia,” he added.

This comes after Australia, along with Canada and the UK, recently announced recognition of a Palestinian state, a move followed closely by Portugal. Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office slammed the decision, calling it “an absurd reward for terrorism” and promising that the international community would hear Israel’s response in the coming days. Photo by Mattinbgn, Wikimedia commons.