The Republican former governor of Arkansas told the ABC’s 7.30 he had discussed the issue with US President Donald Trump and people at the US State Department.
“There’s an enormous level of disappointment, and some disgust,” he said.
“I don’t know that the president used that word, but I would say that is a characterisation of a sentiment.
“You perhaps heard the Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio’s interview this past weekend, and he made it very clear that the result of this has been to completely halt any type of thoughtful negotiations going forward, and it’s, it’s just a very terrible timing for this to come about.”
At the weekend, Rubio claimed talks with Hamas “fell apart on the day (French President Emmanuel Macron made the unilateral decision that he’s going to recognise the Palestinian state” and later in the week he described the pledges as “meaningless”.
Asked to generally categorise Trump’s personal reaction, Huckabee said the decision was “disappointing and frustrating, frustrating that there was no communication with the United States as Israel’s closest partner”.
In an interview with the Times of Israel yesterday, Huckabee accused the allies of aiding and abetting Israel’s “sworn adversaries, those who are trying to kill them, who literally are trying to kill them”.
Announcing his government’s decision to recognise Palestine, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a two-state solution was “humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza”.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said “there is a risk there will be no Palestine left to recognise” if the world didn’t work towards the solution.
“This position reflects political courage and a commitment to the values of justice and the right of peoples to self-determination,” Yousef said in a statement.
“We call on all countries, especially those that believe in freedom and human dignity, to follow Australia’s example.”
Albanese rejected Hamas’ praise and said his decision to recognise Palestine’s statehood was not a reward for the terrorist group, reiterating that a two-state solution between Palestine and Israel would not involve Hamas.
“We need to isolate Hamas, but we do need to find a way forward. There’s 147 countries that have already recognised Palestine.
“A range of countries in the West, like-minded countries – the United Kingdom, Germany, Malta, Italy are making statements – and some of those countries like the United Kingdom, France and Canada have made it clear that they want to see a path forward of a two-state solution.”
“They will talk about a Palestinian dream, and we will continue to build a Jewish reality,” far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Thursday.
“This reality is what will permanently bury the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise.”
The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which militants abducted 251 people and killed about 1200 people, mostly civilians.
Israel’s air and ground offensive has displaced most of the people in Gaza, destroyed vast areas, pushed the territory toward famine and, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, killed more than 61,400 Palestinians.
