‘We need a political solution’: Australia will recognise Palestinian state, says PM Anthony Albanese

Albanese took the decision following a cabinet meeting and said the recognition would depend on the commitments Australia received from the Palestinian Authority, including that Hamas would have no involvement in any future state.

What does a Palestinian state mean

Palestine is a state which has numerous international recognition, diplomatic missions and their national team competes in varied sporting competitions. But since Palestine has been in a loggerhead with Israel for a long time, it has no internationally agreed boundaries, no capital and no military force.

As Israel has military occupation in West Bank, the Palestinian authority, which was setup after a peace agreement in 1990s, doesn’t fully control its land or people, BBC reported.

France and the UK last month said they would recognise a Palestinian state, which was followed by the same announcement made by Mark Carney led Canada. Though Britain said it would follow suit unless Israel addresses the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories and reaches a ceasefire. The countries have set September as the deadline to recognise a Palestinian state.

Israel, on the contrary, has condemned the decision taken by its allies to recognise a Palestinian state, saying the action would amount to reward militant group Hamas that governs Gaza and had attacked Israel in October 2023 which led to a war in the region.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that most of the Israeli citizens were against the establishment of a Palestinian state as they think it would bring war and not peace in the region, despite thousands of protesters and demonstrators demanding an end to war with a ceasefire and hostage deal.

“To have European countries and Australia march into that rabbit hole just like that, fall right into it…this is disappointing and I think it’s actually shameful but it’s not going to change our position,” Netanyahu said, reported Reuters.

Australian PM Albanese has been vocal about a two-state solution, with his centre-left government supporting Israel’s right to exist within secure borders and Palestinians’ right to their own state.

When asked by reporters about his government’s stance on recognising a Palestinian state, Albanese had earlier said “I’ve said it’s a matter of when, not if.”

New Zealand considering recognition of Palestinian state

After Australia PM Albanese announced his support towards recognising a Palestinian state, New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Wellington is also considering recognising a Palestinian state. Peters said New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s cabinet would make a formal decision in September and present the government’s approach at the UN Leaders’ Week.

New Zealand has been clear for some time that our recognition of a Palestinian state is a matter of when, not if,” Peters added.

(with inputs from Reuters)

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