UN overwhelmingly adopts resolution to impose sanctions on Israel

Published: 19 September 2024

Last updated: 19 September 2024

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a Palestinian-drafted resolution that demands Israel end "its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" within 12 months.

The resolution, passed on Wednesday, demands that Israel withdraw its forces, immediately halt all new settlement building, and evacuate all settlers from the Palestinian territories.

It also urges countries to take steps to prevent trade or investments that maintain Israel's presence and implement sanctions, "including in relation to settler violence", and calls for Israel to pay reparations to Palestinians for the damage caused by its occupation.

The resolution received 124 votes in favour. Australia was one of 43 countries to abstain, among them the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada. Only 12 countries voted against the resolution including the United States and Israel.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed regret that Australia was unable to vote for the resolution, saying the nation’s diplomats had tried and failed to redraft the motion to make it less contentious.

“We wish we were in a position to have been able to support it,” Wong told ABC radio on Thursday.

Wong said Australia’s diplomats worked hard to secure amendments to allow it to vote yes – as the nation did in the previous two UN votes – but failed to convince the Palestinian delegation to rewrite the resolution to more narrowly reflect the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, issued in July, that the occupation is illegal.

“I would say there are many things the resolution calls for we are already doing,” she said.

“We do not supply weapons to Israel, we have imposed sanctions on a range of extremist Israeli settlers and we will deny any extremist settlers entry to Australia.”

Australia’s ambassador to the United Nations James Larsen said it was only a matter of time until Australia recognises an independent Palestinian state.

“We have moved our position on recognition: we now see recognition as an integral part of a peace process, and as a way to contribute meaningfully towards the realisation of a two-state solution,” he said. “It’s a matter of when, not if.”

Declaring that “the occupation must be brought to an end”, Larsen alluded to a speech earlier this year in which Wong said Australia could recognise a Palestinian state before a final peace settlement with Israel.

The resolution is the first to be formally put forward by the Palestinian Authority since it gained a seat among UN members in the assembly hall and the right to propose draft resolutions earlier this month.

The resolution isolates Israel days before world leaders travel to New York for their annual UN gathering. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to address the 193-member General Assembly on September 26, the same day as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Zionist Federation of Australia said it was “deeply disappointed” that Australia abstained rather than voting against the motion.

"This decision disregards Israel’s legitimate security concerns and appears indifferent to its right to defend itself against ongoing threats from Iran and its proxy terrorist organisations across multiple fronts. Australia should be placing pressure on Iran and its proxies, instead of Israel."

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry said the UN resolution was “an invitation to endless war and bloodshed” and came at a time when Israel was “once again under a ferocious multi-front attack”.

“The resolution will stand as a monument to the moral abyss into which the UN has sunk,” ECAJ co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said.

The New Israel Fund issued a statement supporting Australia's decision to abstain, in line with the ICJ ruling that Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories is illegal under international law and must be brought to an end “as rapidly as possible”.

"This ruling by the Court, and the continued loss of life in this war, demonstrate the urgent need for action by the Israeli government to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal. In partnership with its international allies, the government needs to work towards ending the occupation on a feasible timeline, to help build a viable future for Israelis and Palestinians.

"However, instead of taking such steps, the far-right, Netanyahu-led Israeli government has increased settlements in the West Bank at a record rate and sanctioned settlers’ attacks on Palestinians living under occupation in the West Bank.".

‘We wanted to vote yes’: Australia expresses regret over UN Palestine vote (SMH, paywall)

Australia abstains from UN vote on occupation of Palestine after ‘disappointment’ with resolution’s scope (Guardian)