Australia recognises state of Palestine

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced Australia will recognise Palestine as a state at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Australia's recognition includes an affirmation of Israel's right to exist and a demand that Hamas has no role in a future Palestinian state.

Australia joins more than 140 countries in recognising the legitimacy of a Palestinian state, most recently its allies France, the UK and Canada. New Zealand announced almost simultaneously that it was considering a similar move.

"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," Albanese told a media conference in Canberra, following a cabinet meeting this morning.

"The international community’s vision for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East always encompassed two states – living side-by-side with internationally recognised borders, a state of Israel and a state of Palestine with security for the people of both nations."

Albanese emphasised Australia's continuing support for Israel.

"When we recognise the long-held and legitimate aspirations of the people of Palestine, we are also upholding and strengthening our commitment to the people of Israel and their right to live in freedom, security and safety."

He repeated Australia's call for the release of all hostages and emphasised, "our government has made it clear that there can be no role for the terrorists of Hamas in any future Palestinian state."

Albanese said he had received commitments from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of the PA's recognition of Israel's right to exist in peace and security; to demilitarise; to hold general elections; to abolish payments to the families of prisoners and "matyrs"; to government reform including financial transparency and education; and to international safeguards to guard against incitement to violence.

Albanese also expressed concern about the Netanyahu government's expansion of settlements in the West Bank, settler violence and threats to annex the occupied Palestinian territories. "The actions together with the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza risk putting a two-state solution out of reach for a generation."

Representative Jewish organisations immediately expressed concern about the government's move.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) president Daniel Aghion KC said the recognition departed from bipartisan consensus which has envisaged Palestinian statehood and recognition as part of a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel, the Palestinians and Arab states.

“Today’s announcement acknowledges the need for all the hostages to be released and for Hamas to be disarmed and removed from power. It accepts that the Palestinians and the Arab States have to recognise and make peace with Israel as the State of the Jewish people, and normalise relations with it. The major flaw in the announcement is that it relegates all of these conditions to the status of a mere promise to be fulfilled at some future time, and says nothing about what will happen if those conditions are not met," Aghion said.

“For this reason, we feel that the course of action announced by the government is a betrayal and abandonment of the Israeli hostages who continue to languish in appalling conditions in Gaza without even access to the Red Cross.

“Australia is now committed to recognising as a state an entity with no agreed borders, no single government in effective control of its territory, and no demonstrated capacity to live in peace with its neighbours. 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, specifically the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and the need to negotiate the five final status issues that separate the sides."

The Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) strongly opposes the Government’s intention to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN next month, saying while it supports a negotiated two-state outcome, moving forward while Hamas remains in power and the Palestinian Authority has not delivered verified reforms will only undermine peace efforts and reward terrorism.

"Recognition without agreed borders, a single governing authority, or a demonstrated capacity for peaceful coexistence does not advance peace. It departs from Australia’s bipartisan position and risks delaying, rather than resolving, the conflict," ZFA President Jeremy Leibler said.

It said Australia's recognition should be tied to independently verified benchmarks including recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, removing Hamas from power, releasing the hostages and sustained humanitarian access.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision. "To have European countries and Australia march into that rabbit hole, just like that, fall right into it and buy this canard is disappointing, and I think it's actually shameful," Netanyahu said.

"It's not going change our position. Again, we will not commit national suicide to get a good op-ed for two minutes."