A Shameful Betrayal of Israel

This week, four of Israel’s once closest allies — Australia, Canada, the UK and France — stood before the UN to announce their recognition of a so-called Palestinian state. On the surface, it was presented as a gesture toward peace. In reality, it is a betrayal of Israel, a reward for terrorism, and a dangerous distortion of what diplomacy is supposed to mean.

Let’s be clear: there is no Palestinian state. There are no agreed borders. There is no single functioning government. And there is certainly no commitment to live in peace with Israel. Instead, there are two competing factions — Abbas’s Fatah in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza. Hamas, the ruling “government” of Gaza, is currently holding Israeli hostages and waging an ongoing war against Israel. Yet, somehow, this is the moment Western leaders have chosen to extend recognition. It is utterly perverse.

Australia’s Incongruous Justifications

The Albanese government, led by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, gave us the usual spin: recognition today is justified because of supposed “commitments” made by Mahmoud Abbas — commitments to hold elections, to stop paying stipends to terrorists, and to ensure Hamas will not be in power.

What nonsense. Abbas hasn’t held an election in 20 years. His rule is corrupt, authoritarian, and deeply unpopular among Palestinians. Why would anyone believe that he will suddenly deliver free and fair elections now? And even if he did, who is to say the Palestinians wouldn’t simply elect Hamas, as they did in Gaza?

And what of Hamas? Do we seriously believe they won’t simply rebrand themselves under a new name to gain legitimacy, while continuing their same campaign of terror? The idea that these empty promises from Abbas represent a path to peace is laughable.

Rewarding Terrorism

The farce becomes even more grotesque when we recall the barbaric Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023 — an orgy of murder, torture, rape, and kidnapping. That attack should have been a wake-up call to the world about what Hamas represents. Instead, here we are less than two years later, with leading Western democracies rewarding Palestinians with recognition, despite no reforms, no peace commitments, and no accountability for their crimes.

What lesson does this send? That terrorism pays. That slaughtering innocents will eventually be rewarded with statehood. This is not peace-building; it is appeasement of the worst kind.

A Sad Farce

Recognition of Palestine today is not just premature; it is dangerous. It undermines Israel’s security, emboldens Hamas, and makes peace less likely, not more. The only thing it guarantees is more instability, more violence, and more division.

Australia, Canada, the UK, and France have turned their backs on Israel at a time when it needs solidarity most. They have elevated wishful thinking over hard reality, and in doing so, they have betrayed not just Israel but their own democratic principles.

It is a sad farce — and a shameful one.