Australia to recognise Palestinian state despite Israel’s objections
Australia will formally recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September, joining the United Kingdom, France, and Canada in a move Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described as “humanity’s best hope” for ending the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Announcing the decision on Monday, Albanese said the Palestinian Authority (PA) had committed to demilitarization, holding general elections, and continuing to recognize Israel’s right to exist.
He emphasized that Hamas would play no role in any future Palestinian state, a pledge personally given by PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
“A two-state solution is 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. There is a moment of opportunity here, and Australia will work with the international community to seize it,” the prime minister said.
The decision follows weeks of talks between Albanese and leaders from the United Kingdom, France, New Zealand, and Japan.
It also comes amid mounting international pressure on Israel to end its military campaign in Gaza, launched in response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 61,000 people have died in Gaza since the war began, with starvation and malnutrition recently claiming five more lives, bringing such deaths to 217.
Israel has condemned Australia’s decision, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it “disappointing” and “shameful.”
He argued that recognizing Palestinian statehood “rewards terrorism” and questioned whether Australians would react differently if a similar attack had occurred “right next to Melbourne or Sydney.”
The United States has also rejected calls to follow suit, with Vice President JD Vance citing the absence of a functional Palestinian government.
Despite opposition, international recognition of Palestine has been growing. Last year, Spain, Ireland, and Norway extended official recognition, joining 147 of the UN’s 193 member states.
Palestine currently holds the status of “permanent observer state” at the UN, which grants participation rights but no voting power.
The announcement comes just days after tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched across Sydney Harbour Bridge in one of the country’s largest such rallies, following a court decision allowing the protest to go ahead.
