Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being “in denial” about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, just a day after announcing that Australia would, for the first time, recognise a Palestinian state.
Albanese confirmed on Monday that Australia will back Palestinian statehood at next month’s United Nations General Assembly, joining France, Britain, and Canada in moves that increase diplomatic pressure on Israel. Speaking to ABC on Tuesday, he said Netanyahu’s unwillingness to acknowledge the plight of civilians was a key factor in Canberra’s decision.
“He again reiterated to me what he has said publicly as well, which is to be in denial about the consequences that are occurring for innocent people,” Albanese said, recalling a phone conversation with Netanyahu last Thursday.
Australia’s recognition will be contingent on assurances from the Palestinian Authority that the Islamist militant group Hamas will have no role in any future state.
The announcement breaks with Australia’s long-standing bipartisan policy, which traditionally delayed recognition of Palestinian statehood until after a negotiated peace settlement. Opposition leader Sussan Ley condemned the move, warning it could strain relations with the United States, a key ally that opposes unilateral recognition.
“We would never have taken this step because this is completely against what our principles are,” Ley told Sydney’s 2GB radio. “Recognition, the two-state solution, comes at the end of the peace process, not before.”
Albanese’s Labor government, re-elected in May with an expanded majority, had previously avoided setting a timeline for recognition. However, public opinion has shifted dramatically in recent months amid reports of worsening hunger and malnutrition in Gaza and Israel’s stated plans to take military control of the territory.
Earlier this month, tens of thousands marched across Sydney’s Harbour Bridge, demanding urgent aid deliveries to Gaza. Jessica Genauer, senior lecturer in international relations at Flinders University, said the decision was shaped by popular sentiment.
“A majority of Australians want to see an imminent end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” she noted.
Neighbouring New Zealand has yet to make a decision on recognition, a stance criticised by former Prime Minister Helen Clark.
“This is a catastrophic situation, and here we are in New Zealand somehow arguing some fine point about whether we should recognise,” Clark told RNZ. “We need to be adding our voice to the need for this catastrophe to stop. This is not the New Zealand I’ve known.”
Australia’s move is expected to add momentum to international calls for an end to the Gaza crisis, even as it deepens political divisions at home and abroad.
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