Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "torpedoing" plans for recognising a Palestinian state, causing "enduring frustration" for diplomats attempting to bring peace to the region.
The comment comes after a press conference in Sydney on Wednesday, where Mr Netanyahu - who is in Australia until Sunday - was asked about recent criticism of Israel by Mr Rudd and another former Labor prime minister, Bob Hawke.
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Turnbull praises Israel as an 'extraordinary' state
Visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains equivocal on a two-state solution as Malcolm Turnbull praises Israel as "extraordinary". (Vision courtesy ABC News 24.)
Both had suggested recognising a Palestinian state.
Mr Netanyahu, standing beside Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, responded to the remarks by saying he prefers "not to deal with labels but with substance".
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He continued by asking what kind of state Mr Rudd and Mr Hawke were asking for.
"What kind of state will it be that they are advocating? A state that calls for Israel's destruction?" he said. "A state whose territory will be used immediately for radical Islam?"
Mr Rudd took to social media on Wednesday night to respond to the "challenge" by Mr Netanyahu, who is the first sitting Israeli prime minister to visit Australia.
"I have a simple reply to Mr Netanyahu: The boundaries, internal security, external security, public finance and governance of a Palestinian state have been elaborated in detail in multiple negotiations with the US under the Clinton, Bush and Obama Administrations, most recently in the Kerry Plan," he wrote.
"Mr Netanyahu knows these formulations like the back of his hand. Mr Netanyahu also knows he has torpedoed each of them, often at five minutes to midnight, often by changing the goalposts, to the enduring frustration of both Republican and Democrat Administrations."
Mr Rudd continued that he has been a supporter of Israel for all his life, and a public campaigner against any form of anti-Semitism, but that did not mean he has to automatically support every policy of Mr. Netanyahu.
"That is why I beg to differ on this and other aspects of Mr Netanyahu's policies," he said.
He used his Facebook post to refer to a diplomatic incident in 2010, where four Australian passports were used to facilitate the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, one of Hamas' top arms dealers, in Dubai.
The Rudd government expelled an Israeli diplomat over the affair and threatened to cut co-operation with Israel's intelligence agency Mossad. Stephen Smith, then Minister for Foreign Affairs, said at the time Mossad was responsible for manufacturing the forged passports, describing it as "a clear affront to the security of our passport system".
Mr Rudd invoked the incident on Wednesday to pose "a simple question for Mr Netanyahu".
"Will he use this visit to Australia to apologise to the Australian people for his government using forged Australian passports to facilitate an Israeli assassination of a member of Hamas in Dubai?" Mr Rudd asked.
"No apology has ever been received for that action which had the consequence of putting the integrity of Australian passports and the security of Australian passport holders travelling to the Middle East at risk."
Mr Rudd is currently the president of US-based think-tank the Asia Society Policy Institute, after a failed bid last year to become UN Secretary-General.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Thursday rejected the suggestion Australia follow the more than 130 countries that recognise Palestinian statehood, instead urging direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians in order to reach a two-state solution with "internationally recognised boundaries".
"I disagree with their suggestion. I do not believe that there will be a lasting peace if a Palestinian state is unilaterally forced upon Israel," she told Sky News.
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