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| Albanese announces Australia will recognise Palestine today. |
Australia has just made a landmark announcement. On Monday Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia will officially recognise Palestine as a state at the United Nations Assembly in September. This puts Australia in line with countries like Britain, France and Canada, which are also preparing to recognise Palestine.
Albanese said the move is meant to build momentum for a two-state solution and push for a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as help secure the release of hostages. In his words, two states side by side is the best hope to end the cycle of violence in the Middle East.
Australia’s statement made clear this would happen only after seeing new commitments from the Palestinian side. The prime minister said any future Palestinian state must exclude Hamas from power, demilitarise Gaza and hold proper elections.
In fact, the government listed specific reforms: ending payments to prisoners, overhauling schools, and officially recognising Israel’s right to exist. These conditions are intended to ensure any new state is run by leaders committed to peace.
The decision partly stems from the war in Gaza. The government pointed out that Israel’s policies there are making peace harder. It said Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government was "extinguishing" the two-state solution by rapidly expanding settlements and threatening annexation.
In other words, Canberra argued Israeli actions have gone too far and the world must try a different approach. Albanese insisted Australia still supports Israel’s right to exist, but warned that without change there may soon be no chance for a Palestinian state.
Back home, the announcement stirred mixed reactions. The opposition warned recognition now could isolate Australia from the United States and even play into Hamas’s hands while Israeli hostages are still held. The Greens and other pro-Palestinian groups welcomed the move but said it was only a first step; they pressed the government to cut off arms sales to Israel and impose sanctions.
Activist networks called the decision a “political fig leaf” if it did not challenge Australia’s Israel policy. Even the head of Australia’s Jewish community condemned it as a betrayal of decades of bipartisan support for Israel and of Israeli hostages. Many Jewish Australians fear it will empower those who oppose peace.
Palestinians outside Australia took the news as a hopeful sign. A minister in the Palestinian Authority said the decision was “long-awaited” and gives Palestinians a sense of hope for the future, though he stressed Gaza needs a ceasefire right now.
In Australia, thousands had already marched this month calling for more aid to Gaza, reflecting the public mood. In short, many ordinary people here feel this move finally aligns politics with the calls for relief they have been voicing.
This change also comes amid a global shift. About 145 of the 193 UN member states already recognise Palestine or plan to. Until now, most Western powers held back.
This week, however, France and Britain announced they will recognise Palestine at the UN Assembly – a first for any G7 members – aiming to pressure Israel to ease the Gaza war and allow more aid. Canada has already moved to recognise, and New Zealand said it’s only a matter of when, not if. Germany and Italy remain out for now.
The US government has been furious: a State Dept. spokesperson warned these moves would “reward Hamas” and Israel’s leaders have blasted recognition as an “absurd” reward for violence.
Experts say recognition is more than a gesture. Once Australia recognises a Palestinian state, it could send aid and money directly to Palestinian authorities rather than only through UN agencies. It could also work on legal agreements to help rebuild Gaza.
Albanese said Australia will continue pushing for a credible peace plan, insisting that two states is the only real path to security for both peoples. He argued this step adds pressure on hardliners and gives a boost to moderate voices.
How this plays out remains to be seen. Some will shrug it off as merely symbolic, while others see it as a needed break from the past. All I know is, for the many Australians who have been watching Gaza, this move feels important.
I admit I feel a mix of pride and anxiety. I’m hopeful it leads to real relief in Gaza, but I also worry about possible fallout. Either way, Australia has clearly taken a new stance on a conflict that affects people’s lives. Now the question is what comes next – more aid, more talks, or new tensions – and only time will tell.