Australia To Recognize Palestinian State as Part of ‘Coordinated’ Global Effort To Reach Two-State Solution

Australia will recognize the state of Palestine at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly at New York as part of a “coordinated global effort” to reach a two-state solution. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the decision following a meeting of the federal cabinet, saying that the recognition is contingent on Hamas not playing a role in a Palestinian government, and on holding new general elections. Mr. Albanese said that President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority committed to these demands. “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,” he said, adding that he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the situation in Gaza has “gone beyond the world’s worst fears.”The prime minister also lashed out at the Israeli government’s “rapidly expanding illegal settlements” and settler violence in the West Bank.“There have been threats to annex the occupied Palestinian territories and proposing the permanent forced displacement of the Palestinian people. These actions, together with the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, risk putting a two-state solution out of reach for a generation,” Mr. Albanese said. Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, vowed to hold the Palestinian Authority to its commitments: “The practical implementation of our recognition will be tied to progress on these commitments.”The Palestinian Authority’s state minister for foreign affairs, Varsen Aghabekian, thanked Australia for its decision, saying it sends a “big message to Israel that the way out of this conflict is to give the Palestinians the right, so that they can materialize their state alongside the neighbors of Israel.”Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, said that by recognizing 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.”Mr. Maimon also pointed out that Mr. Albanese set clear conditions for recognizing a Palestinian state last month, including “renouncing violence, freeing hostages, and establishing credible, accountable governance.”“He emphasized that these steps were necessary before recognition could occur. Today, however, the Australian government has abandoned those conditions and proceeded with recognition for symbolic reasons rather than genuine progress toward peace,” Mr. Maimon said. New Zealand also announced that it was just a matter of “when, not if” the country will recognize a Palestinian state. “New Zealand has long asked whether the pre-requisites for a viable and legitimate Palestinian state — in security, political, diplomatic and economic terms — exist,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. “Fundamentally, we will need to weigh up whether sufficient progress is being made against these benchmarks in order to warrant New Zealand recognizing a Palestinian state at this juncture,” Mr. Peters added. Last month, France announced it would recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN General Assembly. Canada said it would follow suit if a list of demands had been met, such as reforming the Palestinian Authority and holding elections next year without Hamas. Palestinians haven’t held elections since 2006, with Hamas taking control of Gaza the following year.

Australia To Recognize Palestinian State as Part of ‘Coordinated’ Global Effort To Reach Two-State Solution

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