Joining the Tide: Australia to Recognize Palestinian State in September, New Zealand ‘Considering Move’

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced he will formally recognize a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly in September. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the government could approve the decision at a routine cabinet meeting scheduled for today.

Shortly after the report, Albanese confirmed the move, reiterating his long-stated support for a two-state solution. “It’s a question of when, not if,” he said last month, noting bipartisan backing for the idea in Australia.

In New Zealand, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the cabinet will make its formal decision in September, with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to present it during UN Leaders’ Week.

The announcements come amid a wave of Western declarations in favor of Palestinian statehood, including from the UK and France. Late last month, Australia and 14 other nations signed a statement expressing readiness to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN gathering, calling it a crucial step toward a two-state solution and urging others to follow suit. Of the 15 signatories, Australia and eight others, including Canada, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Portugal, Andorra, and San Marino, have not yet granted recognition.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing foreign media on Sunday, criticized recent statements from allies, including Australia, condemning ongoing fighting in Gaza. “Anyone who says Israel has the right to defend itself also says ‘Don’t exercise it,’” Netanyahu said. “They know what they would do if a terrible attack like October 7 happened near Melbourne or Sydney. We have lost many soldiers in this effort.”

On the growing diplomatic momentum toward Palestinian recognition, Netanyahu said: “The Palestinians have been offered a state many times, including in the partition plan, and have rejected it. They don’t want to build a state, they want to destroy one… Hamas in Gaza had a de facto state and declared war to destroy Israel. That’s what they did on October 7, and that’s what they’ll do again if we don’t eliminate them.”