The Albanese government’s announcement it will recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations next month has been dubbed a “political fig leaf” by Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, which called on the government to cut ties with Israel.
Labor’s move has also been met with criticism by the Coalition, which said it supports a two-state solution although it called recognition at the September meeting premature. Others, including Labor MPs and advocates, have welcomed the announcement.
On Monday, Anthony Albanese said a two-state solution “is humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East”.
APAN in response accused the government of using recognition as a “political fig leaf” and said it would be completely meaningless while Australia continues to trade and have diplomatic relations with Israel.
APAN president, Nasser Mashni, said the government should stop supplying arms to Israel and impose country-level sanctions.
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“Recognition is completely meaningless while Australia continues to trade, to supply arms, to have diplomatic relations and to diplomatically protect and encourage other states to normalise relations with the very state that is committing these atrocities,” he said.
“Palestinian rights are not to be gifted by western states. They are not dependent on negotiation with or behaviour or approval of their colonial oppressors.
“What I want today is for Palestinians not to be slaughtered … What I want as an Australian is our government not to be complicit in that slaughter ... What happens after that will be upon the Palestinian people when they have their agency to determine their self determination.
“It’s not my job or Anthony Albanese’s to determine how Palestinians might seek this opportunity.”
The opposition has criticised the move, which followed nations including France, the UK and Canada, claiming it “risks delivering Hamas one of its strategic objectives of the horrific terrorism of October 7.”
In a statement the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, and shadow foreign minister, Michaelia Cash, said the decision puts Australia at odds with the US.
“The Coalition has serious concerns about the Albanese Government’s decision to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state outside of a proper peace and two-state process.”
The Israeli embassy said the move would undermine Israel’s security and accused the government of abandoning the conditions it had set on Hamas and Palestine before recognising its statehood.
Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, said the move would not change the reality on the ground.
“By recognising a Palestinian state while Hamas continues to kill, kidnap and reject peace, Australia undermines Israel’s security, derails hostage negotiations, and hands a victory to those who oppose coexistence,” he wrote.
“Peace is built by ending terror, not rewarding it.”
Labor MPs were quick to welcome the decision, including Ed Husic, who called it an important step.
Husic had been publicly pushing for recognition and had implored Australia to join the growing international momentum. He argued on Monday that the move wasn’t merely symbolic, and would help provide a practical pathway to achieve peace.
“Will this immediately end the starvation, what people are experiencing, innocent Palestinians, on the ground today? No, it will not and we have to be realistic about that,” Husic told ABC TV.
“But for many of us in the Labor party who have pushed for this over many years, this is a fulfilment of what we wanted to see and what was provided for through a national platform.”
Anne Aly, the first Muslim woman to sit in cabinet, told ABC TV the decision would be a circuit breaker.
“Now is the time for that circuit breaker. The world … including Australia has just about pretty much had enough,” she said.
“Recognition is not tokenistic, recognition is actually a pathway to a two-state solution.”
The Greens welcomed the move to recognition, but the party’s foreign affairs spokesperson, David Shoebridge, said the government should ban all arms trade, including trading parts for the F-35 fighter jet, and increase sanctions.
“What Australia has done today is take a tiny step away from a shrinking and discredited minority of states, centred on the US and Israel, to join the overwhelming majority of nations that already recognise Palestine.
“Genocide is not a communications problem, an escalating series of statements will not end it.”
The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, insisted on Sunday the government is not supplying weapons to Israel.
