Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
TRANSCRIPT
Sky News Politics Now with Andrew Clennell
11 August 2025
Topics: Palestinian recognition, future Liberal Party leadership
E&OE
Andrew Clennell
Michaelia Cash, thank you for joining me on this historic day. But what do you make of this decision by Anthony Albanese and his foreign minister to recognise Palestine?
Senator Cash
Well in the first instance, Andrew, I think it raises more questions than it did provide answers. I think that also Mr. Albanese’s decision today to recognise a Palestinian state, whilst hostages remain in the tunnels and Hamas is still in control of Gaza gives Hamas, a terrorist organisation, one of its strategic objectives, following the horrific terrorism that we saw on October the 7th 2023. The Coalition’s position remains clear, and our position is consistent with the decades long-held view, the bipartisan view that you cannot recognise an independent Palestinian state, while the terrorist group Hamas controls Gaza. So I think Mr. Albanese needs to clearly explain to the Australian people how his statements today do not risk rewarding and emboldening a terrorist organisation. But Andrew, I think one of the bigger concerns with what Mr. Albanese announced today is that in relation to the conditions. We had always understood that they would be conditions precedent. In other words, the conditions that have been set out needed to be satisfied before there would be the recognition of a Palestinian state, including the release of the hostages, the disarmament of the terrorists, etc. These are now conditions subsequent and I think that is a very dangerous position to be. And I’d actually call on Mr. Albanese to answer the following question, if these conditions are not met, Mr. Albanese needs to clearly state when he expects these conditions to be met. If they are not met, will Mr. Albanese reverse his decision in relation to the recognition of Palestine, or will he just walk away and quietly pretend the conditions did not matter?
Andrew Clennell
Anthony Albanese made out it’s a deal with the Palestinian Authority and Hamas wouldn’t be involved. Do you think that’s any hope of succeeding?
Senator Cash
I think that Mr. Albanese is clearly very naive or does not understand history. The Palestinian Authority, Andrew, have made these promises before. They have promised to reform, they have promised to hold fair and independent elections. They have promised to stop funding terrorism. They have never, ever honoured those promises. I think Mr. Albanese doesn’t understand the reality of the Palestinian Authority on the ground. The last time they held elections, 17 years ago. That delivered Hamas the overwhelming number of seats in the Legislative Council, that was 74 seats. But I think also an interesting question that I think does need to be pursued in relation to the statement today, is, what is the impact of the 2024 Beijing Declaration. That was just last year where Palestinian factions came together, including Hamas and Fatah, of which Mahmoud Abbas is the chairman, and a declaration was actually signed that there would be a unity government, and that government would be Fatah and Hamas, and Hamas would have a role in it. So again, I think Mr. Albanese is being incredibly naive, but is also walking now a very dangerous tightrope given in particular, Andrew, the comments coming from US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who himself has been involved in the ceasefire negotiations, that the recent ceasefire negotiations, that they were working with Hamas on, fell away the day French president Macron announced that France would recognise a Palestinian state. I think it has led to more questions than answers.
Andrew Clennell
What do you make of the UK and France and Germany taking similar stances? Because, no doubt, the thinking of the Australian Government is partly because of that.
Senator Cash
Well, I think any country that is now saying that they will recognise a Palestinian state without the necessary preconditions being met, need to explain how they are not rewarding terrorism and risking emboldening Hamas. I mean, all along we had been led to believe that these would be preconditions. It is very dangerous that they are now conditions subsequent. Andrew, nobody has yet explained how are these conditions going to be enforced? How will they be met?
Andrew Clennell
Okay, sorry, we’re just, I’m just trying to get the questions in time. Why do you think he’s done it? Anthony Albanese, what’s motivating him, in your view?
Senator Cash
Yeah, so it’s a really good question. I think that despite the long held, the decades long bipartisan view that there cannot be the recognition of a Palestinian state, whilst Hamas, the terrorist organisation, is in control. This has been a long held view of the left of the Labor Party. Very much the left control the caucus in the Labor Party. I talk to members of the right – I would never disclose who they are, but obviously they are incredibly distressed at what is occurring. I would really hope that Mr. Albanese is not playing a numbers game. In other words, the Jewish population in Australia is very small and does not have the votes that are required to win seats. But again, I go back to when you have the United States of America stating that the peace, the ceasefire, negotiations, fell away the day that President Macron stood up and announced that France would be proceeding down this path. I think it is a very dangerous path to go down. I would have thought that the decades long bipartisan agreement that a two state solution needed to occur at the end of any peace process, Andrew, it has served us well.
Andrew Clennell
Nearly out of time. Okay, so just got to ask, Shadow Home Affairs Minister Andrew Hastie on here yesterday, and he said that Benjamin Netanyahu is wrong to go in and seek to occupy Gaza. It is full of risk. What do you make of that? Do you agree with that?
Senator Cash
I think, look, I’ve spoken with Andrew on many occasions, and he is very much looking at it from his former time serving Australia in the SAS. I mean, we’ve been clear the decisions on the ground are decisions for the Israeli government. We are not there now. That does not mean that you necessarily support everything the Israeli government is doing. I have been very clear on numerous occasions. Now the priority for Benjamin Netanyahu needs to be ensuring that aid gets delivered to Palestinian civilians. That is a priority. He needs to also ensure if they go down this path, they need to minimise any civilian casualties The world is watching. But fundamentally, they know what’s going on on the ground. He has stated, the decision that they are taking is to end the terrorists’ control of the Palestinian people once and for all, and ultimately, this is where we all want to be, Andrew, we want to see the Palestinians free of control by Hamas. That is where we want to be.
Andrew Clennell
All right, let me ask finally, Mr. Hastie also said yesterday, when I point blank asked him about the leadership and whether he’s interested. Yes, he is interested. Are you supportive of those comments? Do you see your right wing ally there in Western Australia as a future leader of the Liberal Party?
Senator Cash
I think it’s wonderful that we have people of Andrew Hastie’s capacity and capability that are leaders in the future, and in the future being the key words. Sussan Ley is the leader of the Liberal Party. Sussan Ley is the person that we are supporting and backing in, and that’s where my support is. But I think, isn’t it great that the Liberal Party in Australia have people like Andrew Hastie who are principled, who of an incredibly high calibre that could one day serve us in the future. But I think even Andrew’s been very clear on this. Sussan Ley is the leader. She has our support.
Andrew Clennell
Shadow Foreign Minister Michaelia Cash, thank you so much for your time.
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