Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not spoken to Labor senator Fatima Payman after she accused Israel of waging genocide in Gaza, the most strident criticism of Israel by a government MP since the war began in Gaza.
Labor Senator Fátima Payman.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Yesterday, Payman also used the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which Albanese said today was inappropriate.
“No, it is not. What is appropriate is a two-state solution, where both Israelis and Palestinians have the right to live in security, peace and prosperity,” Albanese said in an interview with ABC. RN Breakfast.
“I talk to her all the time, and the last conversation I had with her was really, really nice,” Albanese continued.
“We speak for the government's policy and the government's policy has been very clear. From our opposition… to the terrorist activity of Hamas on October 7th [20230, our call for the release of hostages [and a] humanitarian ceasefire”.
The Prime Minister condemned anti-Semitism, which he said was on the rise in Australia.
“Australian Jews are suffering a lot of trauma because of the rise in anti-Semitism that we're seeing here, where people who are Jewish are being held responsible for the actions of the Netanyahu government. I don't think it's appropriate, the target of the people because they are Jewish.”
Read our original report on this story here.
Watch the video explainer about the two-state solution below.
