How could Australia simply sit back and do nothing, he asked, while Israel continues to pummel Gaza with bombs and accelerates settlement building in the occupied West Bank?
Furious at Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to end the war or countenance a two-state solution, Albanese believes he has put Australia on the right side of history by recognising Palestine. He views it as moral decision, as much as a political one.
Albanese during a television interview at the UN headquarters in New York.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
As for whether the disagreement over Palestine was the reason he was finding it so challenging to secure a meeting with Trump, Albanese kept it brief. “No is the answer,” he insisted.
That’s true. Australian officials say that, while Trump certainly disagrees with moves by like-minded countries to recognise Palestine, he is not apoplectic about it. Rather than make it a top-tier diplomatic issue, Trump administration officials have mostly spoken about the topic in sorrow rather than in anger.
The reason Trump hasn’t made time to meet Albanese is not because he’s angry about Palestine, but because the evidence suggests he views Australia as something of an afterthought in the geopolitical chess game. Hardly comforting, given how dependent Australia is on the US for its security.
Disagreement over Palestine is just one more irritant in a relationship strained by tensions over tariffs, defence spending and climate change action. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer waited to confirm he was recognising Palestine until Trump had finished his state visit to the United Kingdom to ensure his charm offensive wasn’t overshadowed by disagreement.
Starmer began building a relationship with Trump before last November’s US presidential election, travelling to meet him during the campaign and calling him to express his best wishes after Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt. The pair have met in the US and UK this year. By contrast, Albanese is waiting for his first Trump meeting. This means there is less trust between the pair, even though they have shared four friendly phone calls.
This presents a silver lining for Albanese if Trump doesn’t grant him a meeting this week in New York. By the time of their next possible encounter, during summits in Malaysia and South Korea at the end of October, the heat may have gone out of the Palestinian recognition issue as it fades into the distance. Maybe that’s why Albanese appeared so relaxed as he stood in front of the East River on Sunday as Trump World Tower loomed over the Manhattan skyline.
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.
