Despite Israeli Opposition... Australia to Recognize Palestine as a State

Prime Minister Albanese Announces at Press Conference

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is speaking at a press conference held in Sydney, Australia, on December 12 last year (local time). Photo by AP

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on August 11 (local time) that Australia will officially recognize Palestine as a state.

At a press conference following a cabinet meeting that day, Prime Minister Albanese stated that Australia's policy to recognize the State of Palestine will be formalized at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

He explained that this decision was "based on commitments received from the Palestinian Authority." These commitments include the exclusion of the armed faction Hamas from the Palestinian government, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, and the holding of elections.

He emphasized that "the two-state solution is humanity's greatest hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to end the conflict, suffering, and famine in Gaza." The two-state solution refers to the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, all of which were occupied by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war.

The political media outlet Politico reported that the Australian government's announcement, which aligns with France, the United Kingdom, and Canada, came amid pressure from the cabinet and domestic public opinion, as well as internal criticism within the government over the devastation in Gaza.

Israel, which does not recognize Palestine as an independent state, has strongly objected. Previously, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the moves by European countries and Australia, stating that "it is disappointing and shameful to embrace false claims."

Currently, about 150 out of the 193 United Nations member states recognize Palestine as a state. The United States and some Western countries maintain the position that recognition should only be granted as part of a final peace agreement.

Meanwhile, New Zealand is also set to decide in September whether to officially recognize the State of Palestine. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in an official statement that "the government will carefully review its position on the recognition of the State of Palestine over the next month," adding that "New Zealand has long made it clear that the issue is not 'if' but 'when' to recognize the State of Palestine."