Trump admin's 'disappointment and disgust' over Australia's decision to recognise Palestine | 7.30

Key Concepts

• Recognition of a Palestinian state by Australia and other nations
• US response to the recognition of a Palestinian state
• Oslo Accords
• Negotiations with Hamas
• Annexation of the West Bank
• Two-state solution
• Palestinian Authority payments to terrorists ("martyrs")
• Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza
• Civilian casualties in Gaza
• Hamas's role in the conflict
• US aid to Israel
• Gaza Humanitarian Foundation
• UN aid distribution in Gaza

US Response to Recognition of a Palestinian State

• The US is "disappointed" that nations like Australia and the UK have chosen this time to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state.
• The timing is considered "very hurtful" to prospects of negotiating a settlement in Gaza with Hamas, essentially giving Hamas a "gift."
• This recognition is seen as a violation of the Oslo Accords, which stipulated that any recognition of a Palestinian state should involve the Israelis.
• The US State Department shares this disappointment, with some expressing "disgust."
• Secretary Rubio's interview this past weekend made it very clear that the result of this has been to completely halt any type of thoughtful negotiations going forward.

President Trump's Perspective

• Ambassador Huckabe has discussed the issue with President Trump.
• While Huckabe doesn't disclose specific conversations, he characterizes Trump's sentiment as "disappointing and frustrating."
• The frustration stems from the lack of communication with the US, Israel's closest partner, before the announcement.
• The timing of the UK's announcement, shortly after President Trump's visit with the Prime Minister, is also a point of contention.

Arguments for Recognizing a Palestinian State

• The Australian government felt compelled to recognize a Palestinian state before Israel annexed the West Bank, fearing there would be "no state left to recognize."
• Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated that they had to do this because shortly given what we've heard from the Israelis in relation to annexing the West Bank, there would be no state left to recognize.

US Position on Isolation and Sovereignty

• The US does not feel isolated by Australia's decision.
• The US is a sovereign country, as is Israel and Australia.
• While Australia is free to make its own decisions, the US does not have to agree with or condone them.
• The timing of the recognition is considered particularly inappropriate given the hostage situation and the ongoing conflict with Hamas.

Arab League's Stance

• Ambassador Huckabe claims that in the same week as the Australian government declared publicly for a Palestinian state, the Arab League was calling for Hamas to disarm and release the hostages.
• The interviewer challenges this, stating that the Arab League has welcomed the recognition of a Palestinian state.
• Huckabe clarifies that while the Arab League likely supports a two-state solution, they understood that last week wasn't the time or the place.

The Two-State Solution

• The viability of a two-state solution depends on Israel and the Palestinian Authority finding a way to make it work.
• The interviewer points out that Makmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, has committed to stop doing that.
• Huckabe claims that as long as the Palestinian Authority continues to pay terrorists stipends for murdering Jews, and people are chanting from the river to the sea, the two-state solution is not viable.
• Huckabe claims that Makmoud Abbas said in Arabic that if there's only one penny left in the treasury, that penny will go to the martyrs.

Israel's Conduct of the War in Gaza

• The interviewer questions the Trump administration's apparent powerlessness to influence Benjamin Netanyahu's conduct of the war, given the significant US military aid to Israel.
• Huckabe argues that it is not the US's role to dictate how Israel prosecutes a war, especially considering the October 7th attack and the hostage situation involving American citizens.
• The interviewer raises concerns about the "extended coverage of the war" and the high number of civilian casualties, citing the extensive use of explosives in a small territory.
• Huckabe responds that Hamas could have ended the war by surrendering on October 8th, thus preventing civilian casualties.
• He also accuses Hamas of deliberately placing civilians in harm's way to generate negative publicity for Israel.
• Huckabe claims that Israel announces in advance when they're going to hit a target, where they're going to hit and tell people to get out of it.

Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

• The interviewer questions why President Biden doesn't "make it stop" regarding the pictures of starving children in Gaza.
• Huckabe claims that President Biden has done more than anyone to address the situation, authorizing the creation of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to provide food.
• Biden's directives were to get food to people in a way that Hamas cannot steal or loot it, as they allegedly did with $500 million worth of aid last year.
• Huckabe asserts that Hamas has taken control of the food, contributing to the deprivation and starvation in Gaza.
• The interviewer challenges this, stating that since that organization took over there has been a fundamental change in the way aid is distributed inside Gaza. There are now only 44 centers. There were 400. There's only one crossing one road in and more than a thousand people have been killed while seeking their aid.

Conclusion

The interview highlights the deep divisions and complexities surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The US, under the Trump administration, expresses strong disapproval of the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state by Australia and other nations, viewing it as detrimental to peace negotiations and a violation of the Oslo Accords. The discussion also touches on the conduct of the war in Gaza, the role of Hamas, and the challenges of delivering humanitarian aid to the region. The interview ends with a disagreement over the distribution of aid in Gaza.