- Albanese made this announcement after the meeting of the cabinet.
- Netanyahu criticism to oppose Palestinian efforts.
- “The two -state solution is” the best hope of humanity to end conflicts “.
Australia will recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly next month, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday, a decision that adds to international pressure on Israel after similar announcements from France, Great Britain and Canada.
“Australia will recognize the state of Palestine during the 80th sessions of the United Nations General Assembly (Unga) in September, to contribute to the international momentum to a solution to two states, a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages,” Albanese said in a statement.
Albanese made this announcement after a meeting of the cabinet and told journalists in Canberra that recognition would be based on the commitments that Australia received from the Palestinian Authority, including Hamas would have no involvement in a future state.
“A two-state solution is the best hope of humanity to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and end the conflict, suffering and famine in Gaza,” Albanese said at a press conference.
Albanese said that he spoke on Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and told him that a political solution was necessary and not a military solution.
Australia last week criticized Israel to take military control of Gaza, and Albanese said that the decision to recognize a Palestinian state was “still constrained” by Netanyahu’s contempt for international community and non-compliance with legal and ethical obligations in Gaza.
“The Government of Netanyahu extinguishes the prospect of a solution to two states by rapidly increasing illegal colonies, threatening an annexation in the occupied Palestinian territories and by explicitly opposing any Palestinian state,” Albanese said in the joint declaration with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong.
The commitments of the Palestinian Authority to reform governance, to demit and to hold general elections, as well as requests from the Arab League so that Hamas ends its reign in Gaza, created an opportunity, he said.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand Minister for Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters, said on Monday that New Zealand was considering the recognition of a Palestinian state.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s cabinet would make an official decision in September and present the government’s approach to the United Nations Week, he said.
Peters said that if some of the partners close to New Zealand had chosen to recognize a Palestinian state, New Zealand had an independent foreign policy.
“We intend to carefully weigh the problem, then act according to the principles, values and national interest of New Zealand,” Peters said in a statement.
The government was to assess if sufficient progress was made to the Palestinian territories becoming a viable and legitimate state for New Zealand to grant recognition.
“New Zealand has been clear for some time since our recognition of a Palestinian state is a question of moment, not so,” added Peters.
