Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has formally recognised Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists a Palestinian state will never become a reality, despite Australia joining the United Kingdom, Portugal and Canada in officially recognising Palestine at the current United Nations General Assembly.
A total of 151 UN’s 193 member states (78%) now recognise Palestinian sovereignty, but the United States is not one of them and would prefer that Australia had not made such a move.
Anthony Albanese said while there was a coordinated international effort to build new momentum for a two-state solution, Australia was taking its own position on Palestine.
“Our foreign policy isn’t determined in Washington, or Beijing, or Wellington for that matter,” the Prime Minister said.
But it is a move that could increase unease between Australia and the US – and possibly dent chances of Anthony Albanese meeting with President Donald Trump while in New York.
It has definitely heightened tensions between Australia and Israel, however, with Mr Netanyahu issuing a video statement to condemn the action at the UN.
“I have a clear message to those leaders who recognise a Palestinian state after the terrible massacre on October 7 – you are giving a huge reward to terrorism,” the Israeli Prime Minister said.
“And I have another message for you: it will not happen. A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River.”
Hamas’s attacks on 7 October 2023 killed about 1200 people and they took about 250 hostages, igniting the current war in Gaza and an Israeli retaliation that has so far killed an estimated 65,000 Palestinians and left hundreds of thousands more displaced.
Mr Albanese said the time was right for Australia to formally recognise the legitimate and long-held aspirations of the people of Palestine to a state of their own.
“Australia’s recognition of Palestine today, alongside Canada and the United Kingdom, is part of a coordinated international effort to build new momentum for a two-state solution, starting with a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages taken in the atrocities of October 7, 2023,” he said on Sunday (21 September).
“Today’s act of recognition reflects Australia’s longstanding commitment to a two-state solution, which has always been the only path to enduring peace and security for the Israeli and the Palestinian peoples.
“The international community has set out clear requirements for the Palestinian Authority.
“The President of the Palestinian Authority has restated its recognition of Israel’s right to exist, and given direct undertakings to Australia, including commitments to hold democratic elections and enact significant reform to finance, governance and education.
“The terrorist organisation Hamas must have no role in Palestine.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said further steps, including the establishment of diplomatic relations and the opening of embassies, will be considered as the Palestinian Authority makes progress on its commitments to reform.
“Already, crucial work is underway across the international community to develop a credible peace plan that enables the reconstruction of Gaza, builds the capacity of the state of Palestine and guarantees the security of Israel,” she said.
The Coalition has repeated its opposition to Australia’s recognition of a State of Palestine.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said recognition must come at the end of a peace process not during the conflict.
“Palestine has no established borders and no effective government,” she said.
“The inconvenient truth for the Albanese Government is this recognition comes while hostages remain in tunnels under Gaza and while the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian people remain under the control of the listed terrorist organisation Hamas.
“For decades, Labor and the Coalition were united in the pursuit of a Palestinian state through a two-state process that would assure the democratic rights of the Palestinian people and uphold the security of the State of Israel. Labor has abandoned this pathway, instead choosing to gift recognition with no such assurances in place.”
The Greens have welcomed the move, but say the Federal Government must go further and sanction Israel.
Greens foreign affairs spokesperson David Shoebridge pointed out that the UN and a consensus of genocide scholars have found Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
“Statehood and the right to self-determination are fundamental rights of all people. Recognising this right of Palestinians is long overdue,” Senator Shoebridge said.
“In making this decision, Australia has gone from an international outlier with the United States and a handful of its client states, to the international mainstream.
“Recognising Palestine is complying with basic international principles, but it is not enough in the face of a genocide.”
