Australia to Back Palestinian Statehood at UN Next Month

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Australia is set to take a big step on the world stage — next month at the United Nations General Assembly, the Albanese government will move to recognise a state of Palestine.

But there’s a condition: the terror group Hamas must have no role in its future government.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the move comes after commitments from the Palestinian Authority, including recognising Israel’s right to exist, demilitarising, and holding general elections.

“Australia will recognise the state of Palestine,” Albanese said. “A two-state solution is humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and bring an end to the suffering in Gaza.”

He acknowledged the decades of failed attempts to get both Israel and Palestine recognised as states but said the cost of doing nothing was too high. “The toll of the status quo is growing by the day, and it could be measured in innocent lives.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong noted it’s been over 77 years since the world promised a Palestinian state. “We can’t keep waiting for the end of a peace process that has ground to a halt,” she said.

The PM also revealed he’d had a “long” and “civil” chat with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but their positions remain far apart. Albanese stressed that aid, food, and water must reach Gaza urgently. “This is about much more than drawing a line on a map,” he said.

Netanyahu, for his part, has called Australia and other nations “delusional” for thinking recognition will bring peace, warning they’re falling “down a rabbit hole.”

The federal Opposition isn’t happy either. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says this decision breaks with decades of bipartisan policy — and puts Australia out of step with the United States. “Anthony Albanese has committed Australia to recognising Palestine while hostages remain in Gaza and Hamas still controls the population,” she said.

The government believes this move could help break the cycle of violence. Critics argue it rewards Hamas and undermines peace efforts. Either way, the debate over whether now is the right time is far from over.

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