New York: By officially recognising Palestinian statehood, Anthony Albanese has done more than send a message to the world about how Australia views the Middle East peace process. He has issued a declaration of independence from the United States and an assertion of Australian sovereignty over its foreign policy.

It’s a bold move, and a risky one. Albanese is breaking with Trump on a totemic, divisive issue just as he tries to establish a personal relationship with the President and lock in the pair’s first meeting.

Albanese has begun his first trip to the US since Trump’s return to office by dangling a lantern over a point of contention, rather than unity in the US-Australia relationship. The government’s decision to recognise Palestine , alongside the United Kingdom and Canada, made

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