A motion for the House of Representatives to 'recognise the State of Palestine' was voted down 80 votes to five.
An attempt for federal parliament to formally recognise a Palestinian state has failed. A Greens-backed motion was introduced to the House of Representatives on Wednesday, but parliament rejected efforts to bring forth debate statehood recognition, voting it down 80 votes to five. Greens leader Adam Bandt said a vote for Palestinian statehood would have been a "concrete step towards peace" after other countries have also recently recognised Palestine.
Watts said the Greens were using the motion as a wedge on the issue. "Wedge politics only divides the community. We gain nothing from the Greens seeking to reproduce this conflict in our own community," he told parliament. "If they were sincere, the Greens would have something of substance to say about ending the cycle of violence and achieving lasting peace." Watts indicated Palestinian statehood could form part of peace negotiations.
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