Australia to recognise Palestinian state at UN in September: PM
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed that Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly next month, describing a two-state solution as “humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza.”
The announcement comes hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing mounting criticism over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, condemned Australia and several European nations as “shameful” for considering such recognition.
Albanese said he had spoken to Netanyahu last week, telling him “the situation in Gaza has gone beyond the world’s worst fears,” citing an unacceptable civilian death toll. According to local health authorities, more than 60,000 civilians have been killed during Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza, which followed the 7 October 2023 Hamas terror attack that left 1,200 Israelis dead and dozens taken hostage.
“Australia will recognise the right of the Palestinian people to a state of their own, predicated on the commitments Australia has received from the Palestinian Authority. We will work with the international community to make this right a reality,” Albanese said on Monday.
Standing alongside the prime minister, Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated: “We can’t keep waiting for the end of a peace process that has ground to a halt.” She added, “We have always said that Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas. But a whole population has been shattered. This September, the international community has the chance to forge hope from despair, as the world seizes the opportunities presented by the new commitments of the Palestinian Authority and as it seeks to support the Arab League’s efforts to isolate Hamas.”
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) called the decision a “betrayal” and a “disappointment.” Coalition defence spokesperson Angus Taylor described the move as “premature,” claiming it would reward Hamas.
Australia’s decision follows similar recognition pledges by France, Canada, and the United Kingdom in recent weeks, amid increasing international momentum for a Palestinian state and growing condemnation of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, including its plans to militarily occupy the territory.
The Labor government has been under pressure from both within and outside its ranks to accelerate recognition, with public calls intensifying after hundreds of thousands of people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge last weekend. Calls further escalated after Netanyahu’s cabinet announced plans to occupy Gaza – a move Wong warned could breach international law.
Labor Friends of Palestine, a grassroots group within the party advocating for recognition, said Monday’s announcement “delivers on policy long supported by Labor members who will strongly welcome this move.”
Albanese informed Netanyahu last week of the pending decision, while Wong discussed it with US counterpart Marco Rubio on Monday. The prime minister accused Israel’s government of “defying international law and denying sufficient aid, food and water to desperate people, including children.”
In a joint statement, Albanese and Wong accused Netanyahu’s government of “extinguishing the prospect of a two-state solution” by threatening to occupy Gaza further and expand West Bank settlements. “Australia is further compelled by the Netanyahu government’s disregard of the international community’s calls, and its failure to comply with its legal and ethical obligations in Gaza,” the statement read.
Albanese said recognition would be based on commitments from the Palestinian Authority, including the creation of a demilitarised Palestine, recognition of Israel’s right to exist in peace and security, holding elections, implementing governance reforms, and ensuring Hamas plays no role in a future Palestinian state. He also said Israel’s hostages must be released.
Wong added that steps such as establishing an Australian embassy presence in Palestine or granting full embassy status to the Palestinian delegation in Australia would depend on the Palestinian Authority meeting its commitments. “We will help build the capacity of the Palestinian Authority, and with the international community, Australia will hold the Palestinian Authority to its commitments,” she said, noting that much more work remains in building a Palestinian state.
When asked if the recognition was merely symbolic, Albanese insisted it was a “practical contribution towards building momentum” for peace, reiterating that an end to the conflict could only come through a two-state solution.
ECAJ president Daniel Aghion criticised the move, saying the government had not outlined what it would do if Israeli hostages were not released and that Israel “will feel wronged and abandoned by a longstanding ally.” He added, “This commitment removes any incentive or diplomatic pressure for the Palestinians to do the things that have always stood in the way of ending the conflict.”
Speaking at a press conference overnight, Netanyahu strongly opposed the growing number of nations recognising a Palestinian state. “To have European countries and Australia march into that rabbit hole, just like that, fall right into it, this canard is disappointing, and I think it’s actually shameful. But it’s not going to change our position.”
Netanyahu claimed Israel was “actually applying force judiciously” and defended its actions by comparing the situation to a hypothetical attack on Australian cities. “They know what they would do if right next to Melbourne or right next to Sydney you had these horrific attacks. I think you would do at least what we’re doing – probably maybe not as efficiently and as precisely as we’re doing it.”
