Australia to Officially Recognize Palestinian Statehood, New Zealand Considers Following Suit

By Staff, Agencies

Australia will officially recognize a Palestinian state in September, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Monday, planning to make the formal declaration during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly [UNGA] session in New York.

Albanese described a two-state solution as “humanity’s best hope” to end the cycle of violence, suffering and starvation in Gaza. Australia joins Canada, France and the United Kingdom, which are also preparing to recognize Palestine at the UNGA, aligning with the majority of the world’s countries.

The announcement follows large-scale protests in Australia, including hundreds of thousands marching across Sydney Harbor Bridge against the ongoing war waged by the “Israeli” regime in Gaza. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong warned that “there is a risk there will be no Palestine left to recognize.”

However, the move has drawn criticism from the opposition Liberal Party, which argued that recognizing Palestine while captives remain confined and Hamas controls Gaza risks empowering the resistance group.

The Australian Greens welcomed the recognition but said it fell short of the public’s calls for concrete action, including sanctions and an end to arms sales to the “Israeli” entity. Similarly, the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network condemned the announcement as a “political fig leaf” that fails to challenge “‘Israel’s’ genocide and apartheid” and ignores Australia’s complicity through ongoing arms trade.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the government will decide on Palestinian recognition in September. Peters emphasized New Zealand’s independent foreign policy and the complexity of the issue, noting a wide range of views within the government and society.

Currently, 147 of the United Nations’ 193 member states recognize Palestinian statehood, representing the majority of the global population. The UN’s 1947 partition plan had allocated 45 percent of the land for an Arab state, which never materialized.

The announcement from Australia and New Zealand coincides with a recent “Israeli” attack that assassinated five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza City, amid ongoing threats by “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to launch a full-scale invasion of northern Gaza.

The war launched by the “Israeli” regime in Gaza has killed at least 61,430 Palestinians, with close to 200—including 96 children—dying of starvation under the regime’s siege, according to Gaza health authorities.