Albanese’s Palestinian statehood decision won’t please everyone – but it’s better than the horrifying status quo

Opposition says recognition rewards Hamas for its terror and murder but prime minister asserts it is a step towards peace

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As Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong prepared to announce Australia's recognition of the state of Palestine on Monday, nervous anticipation rippled around Parliament House.

Staffers gathered in windows above the prime minister's courtyard, ready to take photos of the announcement unfolding below. Anne Aly, the first Muslim woman to sit in cabinet, watched from one floor up as Albanese and Wong fronted the media, while the country's most senior bureaucrat, Steven Kennedy, paced nervously nearby.