Thai support for Palestinian statehood ‘ill-advised’

THAILAND’S announcement last weekend that it has recognised a Palestinian state within pre-1967 borders has been greeted with concern by Australian Jewish leaders.

In recent years, the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) has hosted several fact-finding missions to Israel for senior Thai journalists, academics and politicians.

Describing the decision to grant recognition to the state as “ill-advised”, AIJAC executive director Dr Colin Rubenstein said it would undermine current attempts to kickstart the peace process and was disappointing given the harmonious relations that existed between Bangkok and Jerusalem.

“Thailand and Israel have had friendly diplomatic ties since 1954, and during that time a broad range of economic,cultural and other relationships have blossomed. There are 30,000 Thai workers in Israel, and Thailand is a major destination for Israeli tourism,” Rubenstein told The AJN.

“In this context, it is particularly disappointing that Thailand has announced that it will recognise the “state” of Palestine. This decision is ill-advised and, as Israel’s Foreign Ministry has stated, a matter for ‘regret’ that won’t contribute to any peace process.

“If the Thai authorities want to facilitate the emergence of a viable Palestinian state, they should be impressing on the Palestinians the urgent need for them to resume genuine negotiations with Israel towards an enduring two-state settlement. It appears, however, that Thailand has succumbed to the continuing Palestinian campaign for unilateral recognition at the United Nations, which will undermine, rather than advance, any meaningful peace process,” he said.

“This development underlines the sad fact that, despite the current talks in Jordan, the Palestinians continue to want recognition without substantive negotiations and the commitments and compromises that a peace settlement would require.”

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