Australia to recognize Palestinian state at UNGA next month, drawing strong Israeli condemnation

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday that his country intends to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in September.

“Australia will recognize 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 stated following a Cabinet meeting.

He further argued that such a move was a “part of a coordinated global effort building momentum for a two-state solution.”

The Australian leader did not address the fact that both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA) have not formally recognized Israel’s historic and legal claims to statehood.

Last month, France, the United Kingdom and Canada announced their respective intention to recognize a Palestinian state in September.

Like other Western leaders, Albanese claimed that Hamas would have no authority in “Palestine” but failed to specify how Australia and other nations intend to implement such a vision when Hamas still enjoys wide popularity among Palestinians in Gaza and in Judea and Samaria (West Bank). The Australian leader also said Israel “continues to defy” international law, with the situation in Gaza “beyond the world’s worst dreams.”

“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 argued. The Hamas terrorist organization initiated the war on Oct. 7, 2023, when it launched a surprise attack on Israel's southern border communities. Since the start of the war, the terror group has been accused of withholding food from Israeli hostages, refusing to disarm, and obstructing Israeli and American humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza.

Addressing international media on Sunday regarding the situation in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Western nations that have decided to unilaterally recognize an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

“To have European countries and Australia march into that rabbit hole … this canard is disappointing and I think it’s actually shameful,” Netanyahu said.

Israeli Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon blasted the decision.

“Peace is built by ending terror, not rewarding it,” he argued. “By recognizing a Palestinian state while Hamas continues to kill, kidnap, and reject peace, Australia undermines Israel’s security, derails hostage negotiations, and hands a victory to those who oppose coexistence.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog also criticized Australia's decision to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state.

“These declarations by Australia and other countries are a reward for terror, a prize for the enemies of freedom, liberty, and democracy. This is a grave and dangerous mistake, which will not help a single Palestinian and sadly will not bring back a single hostage,” Herzog said.

Australia, long regarded as a peaceful multi-ethnic society, has seen a sharp rise in anti-Israel and antisemitic incidents. According to a poll by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), antisemitic cases increased by 400% following the Hamas Oct. 7 massacre.

“If anything, the raw numbers understate the seriousness of the surge in antisemitism that has occurred. There have been many new forms and expressions of anti-Jewish racism that would once have been considered alien to Australia, but which have become commonplace,” ECAJ Research Director Julie Nathan warned.