Albanese government needs to honour its commitment to recognise Palestine

Nov 11, 2022

The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network calls on the Albanese government to honour its ALP national conference promise to recognise Palestine.

Comments in Senate Estimates yesterday from Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong, indicating the government was non-committal to ALP National Conference resolutions is an unhelpful addition to the discussions for achieving peace.

“Honouring their promise, and recognising the State of Palestine is the least this Labor government can do,” APAN President, Mr Nasser Mashni said.

“At a time when UN experts and the world’s leading human rights organisations are openly labelling Israel’s policies against Palestinians as the crime of apartheid, we would hope our government would be taking greater action in supporting the Palestinian people in their demands for justice.

“The move to recognise the State of Palestine is the easiest and simplest step this government can take to join the majority of the world’s nations and support a peaceful resolution.

“We hope the recognition of Palestine by this government signals a change in Australia’s one-sided support of Israel and a future where our governments support Palestinian calls for justice, and the right of return.”

Motions to recognise a State of Palestine in the next Labor Government passed unopposed in the last two ALP national conferences in 2018 and 2021.

As of July 2019, 138 United Nations member states have recognised the State of Palestine, in addition to two non-member states.

Since taking power, the Albanese government has taken a UN foreign policy approach to Palestine and Israel somewhat independent of the USA, has increased aid funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and reversed the Morrison Government’s controversial decision to recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

However, the government has also made statements critical of the UN’s focus on Israeli human rights abuses, and has not supported an International Criminal Court investigation into possible war crimes in Palestine.

For more information and interviews, contact:
Jarred – [email protected] – 0434 869 088

//ENDS