ALBAWABA- Australia will formally recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday.
Albanese described the two-state solution as “humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of conflict in the Middle East and to end the conflict, suffering, and starvation in Gaza.” He said the Palestinian Authority has pledged to disarm, recognize Israel, and exclude Hamas from any future governance.
The decision comes after weeks of speculation that Canberra was preparing a recognition timeline. The Cabinet approved the move shortly after deliberations, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
When asked if the decision might embolden Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to continue its military campaign in Gaza, Albanese said he had expressed his concerns directly to Netanyahu. “I think I expressed it in a very clear way,” he noted, adding that Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s determination to remove Hamas.
Australia joins Canada, France, and Britain, which have announced plans to recognize Palestine at the UN meeting in New York next month. The UK has said it will support recognition if Israel fails to meet certain conditions.
