Monday, August 11, 2025 - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that Canberra will recognize the state of Palestine, making Australia the latest Western government to take the symbolic but politically significant step expected to anger Israel and the United States.
Speaking in Canberra, Albanese said the formal recognition
will take place in September during the 80th session of the United Nations
General Assembly.
“Australia will recognize a state of Palestine. Australia
will recognize the right of the Palestinian people to a state of their own,
predicated on the commitments Australia has received from the Palestinian
Authority,” he said. “We will work with the international community to make
this right a reality.”
The move follows similar announcements in recent weeks by
France, Britain, and Canada. It comes amid mounting criticism of Israel’s war
in Gaza, where famine is threatening and the Israeli government has announced
plans to seize control of the entire Gaza Strip.
Albanese said the decision was part of a coordinated global
effort to support a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. He
confirmed speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the
move.
Netanyahu has strongly opposed a two-state solution and
condemned nations recognizing Palestinian statehood, calling it “disappointing”
and “shameful.” He said such recognition “will not bring peace” and insisted
Israel “will not commit national suicide.”
Australian Jewish groups have also criticized the decision.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry called it “a betrayal and
abandonment” of Israeli hostages taken during Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack.
The Australian Jewish Association described it as “a reckless attack on the
Jewish people in Australia and abroad,” warning it could strain relations with
the United States.
The decades-long Israel-Palestinian conflict escalated
sharply on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a deadly surprise attack on
Israel. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza
that has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to local health
officials. Israel now controls about 75% of the enclave and plans to seize the
rest. Famine conditions have worsened, with more than 200 people — including
100 children — reported dead from starvation.
Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court on
war crimes charges, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare.
Recognition of a Palestinian state has increasingly become a
diplomatic protest against the ongoing war. In 2024, Norway, Ireland, and Spain
also took the step, with the United States expected to oppose Australia’s
decision as it has others.
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