Australia to recognise Palestinian state — fourth US ally to do so in two weeks

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his country will recognise Palestine as a state at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September—the same timeline as France, the United Kingdom (UK), and Canada.

Speaking on Monday, Albanese said the decision was drawn from commitments from the Palestinian authority to demilitarise, hold general elections, and continue to recognise Israel’s right to exist.

“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,” the prime minister said.

Albanese had earlier mulled Australia’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood a day after French President Emmanuel Macron said his country would formally make the move in September.

Shortly after, the UK and Canada made similar declarations.

Albanese said Monday’s announcement comes after conversations with his counterparts in the UK, France, New Zealand, and Japan over the past fortnight.

Meanwhile, Winston Peters, New Zealand’s foreign minister, said his country is also considering recognising a Palestinian state.

Peters said the decision would be made at a cabinet meeting in September.

If the move goes ahead, the US would be the only member of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance — comprises the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand –not to recognise Palestinian statehood.

At a press conference on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised countries planning to recognise Palestinian statehood, calling it “shameful”.

As Israel signals plans to take control of Gaza, international condemnation is mounting, with a growing number of Western allies voicing opposition.

Last week, Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, said declarations of support for a Palestinian state were “largely symbolic” and only “emboldened Hamas and made it harder to achieve peace”.