In the midst of international pressure on Israel to put an end to his war in Gaza, there is an increasing diplomatic dynamic in the West to recognize the Palestinian state, Australia becoming the last to announce plans to do so.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday that the country would recognize a Palestinian state in the United Nations General Assembly next month. Albanese said at a press conference on Monday that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week about the need for “a political solution, not a military solution” to the war in Gaza. Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong said that she spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio before the announcement.
“Australia will recognize the state of Palestine during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly 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. “The Government of Netanyahu extinguishes the prospect of a solution to two states by quickly increasing illegal colonies, threatening an annexation in the occupied Palestinian territories and by explicitly opposing to any Palestinian state.”
This decision comes as Israel again amplified its offensive in Gaza during its almost two years war, while the Israeli government is considering a “complete conquest” of Gaza. Humanitarian organizations have warned of the humanitarian crisis and the famine that takes place in Gaza, as well as the targeting and murder of journalists, while Netanyahu claimed the media and denied that the Palestinians die of hunger.
Here’s what you need to know.
What countries have recognized a Palestinian state?
Nearly 150 of the 193 UN member states recognize the Palestinian state, including most countries in Asia, Africa and South America. But currently, only a fraction of Western countries is the fact – mainly the former members of the Soviet Union – although the momentum seems to grow.
In July, France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Malta announced their intention to recognize a Palestinian state at the September meeting in the United Nations. New Zealand also said on Monday that it “carefully weighs its position in next month on the recognition of a state of Palestine”. Portugal also said in July that it was planning to recognize the Palestinian state. They join Armenia, Slovenia, Ireland, Spain and Norway, as well as four others in the world, which recognized the Palestinian state in 2024.
What does the Palestinian state mean?
By international law, a sovereign state should have a permanent population, a defined territory, an effective government and the ability to lead international relations. That the country is officially recognized by other states is not a requirement of the sovereign state, but it shapes how the countries interact with each other.
A large part of the world already recognizing the Palestinian state, the change between Western countries is largely considered an attempt to put pressure on Israel towards a cease-fire. Some Western countries made a similar decision a decade ago after the Israeli government annexed the territory in the West Bank. In 2014, Sweden officially recognized the Palestinian state, while British legislators voted in favor of the same thing, although the British government officially not recognizes the Palestinian state. A large part of the West has long supported a solution “to two states”, in which a Palestinian state would exist in most or all of the West Bank, the Gaza and East Jerusalem Strip, alongside the State of Israel.
Although largely considered symbolic, the change of recognition was accompanied by an increasing censorship of the Israeli government, such as the German suspension of arms exports linked to Gaza to Israel last week and the majority of the Democrats of the Senate voted to arrest arms sales to Israel at the end of July.
But raising a Palestinian state to a full-fledged member, rather than a permanent observer, as it is currently, at the UN, the United States should have on board. As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the United States has veto power to resolutions that could change the membership status of Palestine, which it has done in the past.
How have Israel, the United States and others reacted?
Israel has condemned Western countries like France, Canada and the United Kingdom to recognize the Palestinian State, arguing that it “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian indicator, just like Gaza has become.” The Israeli government opposes Palestinian sovereignty and a solution to two states.
Netanyahu described Australia’s decision “shame” and said: “This will not change our position”.
“I think we really apply the force judiciously, and they know it. They know what they would do so right next to Melbourne or right next to Sydney, you had these horrible attacks. I think you would, at least what we do, probably may not be as effectively and as precisely as we do,” Netanyahu told journalists on Sunday.
The war in Gaza was ignited by the terrorist attack of Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. Since then, more than 60,000 Palestinians and nearly 2,000 Israelis have been killed, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health and Israeli forces, respectively. (In the absence of independent surveillance in the field, the Ministry of Health of Gaza is the main source of injury data invoked by humanitarian groups, journalists and international organizations. Its figures are not different between civilians and combatants and cannot be verified independently by time.)
Hamas had published 140 living hostages in early July. The Israeli government estimates that around 20 living hostages remain in Gaza, as well as bodies of around 30 others. Hamas would have proposed to release all the hostages in exchange for the total withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza and the end of the war, which a senior Hamas official said that Israel had rejected.
“By recognizing a Palestinian state now, Australia raises Hamas’s position,” the envoy of Israel said in Australia Amir Maimon in a statement published in X.
Netanyahu earlier this year said that the leaders of France, Canada and the United Kingdom “enhanced Hamas” after having signed a joint letter calling for a cease-fire and a two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state.
The United States, the largest ally in Israel, has also rejected recent announcements. Rubio previously called on France’s decision to recognize that the Palestinian “reckless” state and said that it “only serves Hamas’ propaganda”, while President Donald Trump said that the French President Emmanuel Macron’s declaration “did not gain weight”.
In Australia, the country’s decision was welcomed both with reception and disapproval. The executive council of the Australian Jewish community has described the move as “betrayal” and that the Australian government has committed to recognize as a state an entity without agreed borders, no unique government in effective control of its territory, and no demonstrated capacity to live in peace with its neighbors “. Meanwhile, the defense spokesman for the liberal-national coalition, Angus Taylor, said that the decision was “premature” and “enriching Hamas”.
The Labor Friends of Palestine, a basic group of the Australian Labor Party, said that this decision “provides sustained policies for a long time by members of work which will strongly host this decision”. The president of the defense network of Australian Palestine Nasser, Mashni, said that the announcement was “meaningless” and a “political fig leaf” while Australia continues to trade and have diplomatic relations with Israel.
Albanese declared in the press conference that this decision was not only symbolic. “It is not Australia that acts alone,” he said. “This is a practical contribution to the creation of the momentum.”
