Labor stalls on Trump’s board of peace invitation as Trump envoy issues warning
Donald Trump’s ambassador to Israel has questioned how Australia could justify rejecting the US president’s invitation to join a “peace council” as the Albanian government stalls and says the US is seeking more information about its intentions.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said on Thursday that Australia would sign a new international agreement if it accepted Trump’s invitation, while also defending the government’s decision to invite Israeli President Isaac Herzog to visit Australia in the wake of the Bondi attack.
Trump announced in October that a “peace board” would be established to oversee the post-war transition in Gaza, but enthusiasm for the initiative has been tempered by fears over what it is trying to do. Establishing its own organization to rival the United Nations.
Many countries like Australia have refused to join the body, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hesitated in his response as he weighed the costs of rejecting Trump.
Wong said Thursday that the government is interested in a peace plan for Gaza but is trying to understand “more closely” what the United States’ intentions are.
“The peace proposal board would involve Australia being part of an agreement. Obviously that’s a different type of arrangement than we typically have on these types of issues,” Wong told ABC Radio National.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who had previously expressed his disgust at Albanese’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state, questioned how Australia could justify refusing to join, given its previous rhetoric on Gaza.
“For Australia not to be a part of this, especially as much noise as they made last year about us needing to do more for Gaza, you now have this opportunity to say ‘yes, we said a lot of this but we didn’t mean it and we’re not really going to do it’,” Huckabee told Sky News.
“It’s fair to say a rejection wouldn’t exactly be met with celebration, and I’m not going to say it would have lasting consequences because I don’t know.”
Huckabee, whom Trump appointed as ambassador to Israel after his election victory in 2024, denied that the board’s aim was to challenge the United Nations.
New Zealand rejected Trump’s invitation last week, citing a lack of clarity about the board’s scope and saying the participation of countries in the region was more important.
While France rejected the offer, as did economic powers Japan and Germany, Trump withdrew the invitation from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Middle Eastern countries, including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, joined in, saying in a statement they supported the board’s mission in Gaza and the advancement of a Palestinian state, but did not mention Trump’s global peacemaking plan.
The Trump administration asked countries to contribute $1 billion each to become permanent members of the peace council; Non-permanent membership will remain free.
Approved by the United Nations Security Council in November, the board’s mandate is limited to Gaza and runs only until the end of 2027, but the board’s draft charter does not mention Palestinian territory. Trump said, “my view is we’ll start with Gaza and then we’ll start with the fighting as it unfolds.”
A leaked copy of the contract published by Times of Israeldefines it as “an international organization aimed at promoting stability, restoring credible and lawful governance, and securing lasting peace in conflict-affected or threatened areas.”
The Israel-Hamas conflict has continued to escalate domestic tensions, with a growing number of politicians joining calls for Herzog’s trip, scheduled to begin Sunday, to be cancelled.
While Wong called on Australian authorities to arrest Herzog upon his arrival for allegedly inciting genocide, he said the government “always takes legal advice” on its obligations under international law.
Herzog was constantly criticized for signing off on the warheads to be dropped on Palestine and for suggesting that all Palestinian civilians were responsible for Hamas’ October 7 attack.
Independent MPs Zali Steggall, Sophie Scamps and Andrew Wilkie issued a statement condemning his visit on Thursday, adding to the opposition of Labor backbencher Ed Husic, who said on Wednesday the trip made him “very uncomfortable”.
“This visit is divisive and does not help social cohesion in any way,” the MPs said.
“In fact, this is clearly inflaming the situation. It is highly inappropriate to invite President Isaac Herzog, it is inappropriate for him to grant him a visa, and it is inappropriate for him to host him at the Houses of Parliament. This is a disrespect for international law.”
Wong was asked on ABC Radio National whether Australia was obliged to detain Herzog under international law.
“President Herzog is coming to Australia at Bondi to commemorate the victims of the worst anti-Semitic attack in our country’s history. He is coming to Australia to provide support to the Jewish community. The community wanted President Herzog to visit and he was invited by the governor general at the request of the prime minister,” Wong said.
Asked whether the Australian government had sought legal advice, Wong said: “We always consider seeking legal advice in relation to our obligations. I have indicated that we have invited it.”
“Israel will be tried by the International Court of Justice on its compliance with the Genocide Convention. I have also said before that it must accept its responsibility for the humanitarian situation in Gaza. But let’s get back to the context of this visit,” he said.
“We have families who are grieving, and this was a request from the Jewish community for President Herzog to visit. He is here to provide support to this community and to honor the victims of this horrific terrorist attack.”
with AP
Brittany Busch is the federal politics correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
Nick Newling is the federal politics correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.
