Squiz Shortcuts - What does recognising Palestine mean?

What does recognising Palestine mean?

Australia has long supported a 2-state solution in the Middle East where an Israeli state and a Palestinian state coexist peacefully side by side. And come September, we’ll take the step of formally recognising Palestine as its own sovereign state at the United Nations General Assembly. It’ll bring us in line with the majority of other countries, including France and Canada, but it goes against Israel and the US. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll explain:

• what a 2-state solution is

• what our recognition of Palestine means

• and how our global ties are shifting…

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This isn’t the first Squiz Shortcut about Israel and Palestine…
That’s right… Long-time Squizers might remember Claire and Kate put out a super helpful Squiz Shortcut in July 2020 that discussed the origins of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and its long history of territorial and religious differences… 

A lot has happened since then…
It sure has - one of the biggest developments was the terror attacks by Hamas on 7 October, 2023, when armed militants from Hamas (which Australia classifies as a terrorist organisation) came over the border from Gaza and killed around 1,200 people, mostly Israelis, and took 251 people hostage.

And Israel declared war on Hamas…
It did… It invaded the Gaza Strip - which is an occupied Palestinian territory. The war has been going on ever since, and the latest reports put the death toll at more than 61,000 Palestinians, with more than 153,000 injured. Of the hostages held by Hamas, 49 are said to still be in Gaza, and 22 of them are believed to be alive.

Have there been any peace talks?
There was a temporary ceasefire earlier this year that lasted around 2 months - but negotiations between the 2 sides have since broken down. 

What are the conditions in Gaza like now?
As the war drags on, the situation in Gaza has worsened. There have been reports of widespread famine and disease, and as a result, international support for Palestinian statehood has been building - and many see the 2-state solution as the only way to bring the war to an end and forge a peaceful road forward. 

So, what does a 2-state solution mean?
At its core, it’s the idea that Israel and Palestine can exist side by side as separate states peacefully. But for Palestine to exist as its own state or country, it has to be recognised by the rest of the world first. And that’s what Australia’s about to do…

When are we going to do that?
At the UN General Assembly in New York, which begins on 9 September. PM Anthony Albanese made the announcement this week, saying “a 2-state solution is humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East”. 

Will it make a difference?
Recognising Palestine - aka making the territories of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem an independent state - doesn’t end Israel’s military occupation or make the war go away. But it puts pressure on Israel to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and Albanese says it could help to galvanise the Palestinian people, and isolate and drive out Hamas.

How many countries recognise Palestine?
We’re about to join 147 of 193 UN member states in recognising Palestine. France and Canada are set to make the move too, and it’s looking like the UK will join them. PM Keir Starmer has called on Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to make significant moves towards peace, and he says if that doesn’t happen, the UK will recognise Palestine. And it marks a shift for Western countries…

What sort of shift?
France, Canada and the UK’s declarations are significant because they’re the first members of the G7 (Group of 7) - a group of powerful economies - to move against Israel and the US, their longstanding Western allies.

How have Israel and the US taken it?
They’re not happy… Israel says it’s rewarding the terrorist actions of Hamas. Netanyahu described it as “shameful”, saying, “If, right next to Melbourne or right next to Sydney, you had this horrific attack… I think you would do at least what we're doing”.

Are there any conditions we’ve placed on Palestine?
Yep… A big one is that Hamas has nothing to do with its governance going forward, and that the state won’t have a military force.

Who would govern it?
The day-to-day governance would be with the Palestinian Authority (known as the PA). Its leader, Mahmoud Abbas, says it’s committed to democratic ideals and that it’s planning an election in 2026 that would exclude Hamas. And the PA is no stranger to the international community…

How so?
It already represents the Palestinian people at the UN, but it’s not yet a full member, so it doesn’t have a vote in the General Assembly; it only has the right to observe. 

So, what does Palestine need to become an independent state?
There’s a few criteria… It would need to have its own defined territory. As we mentioned, that would be the Occupied Palestinian Territory of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It also needs to have a permanent population, a government, and the ability to represent itself internationally. And that’s a big question mark… 

Why is that a question mark if it’s already represented at the UN…?
There’s a big hurdle that needs to be overcome in order to be recognised by the UN Security Council - and that’s getting the US (Israel’s key Western ally) on board. As recently as July, the US and Israel boycotted a UN Summit in New York on the 2-state solution…

What happened there?
At least 125 countries supported an independent and demilitarised Palestinian state living in peace with Israel.

So where does the US sit?
America has supported the idea of a 2-state solution in the past but it has stopped short of recognising Palestinian statehood, saying that would need to be done in consultation with Israel - and Israel is firmly against it.

Is our relationship with the US likely to be impacted by our decision?
Our Foreign Minister Penny Wong says it won’t be, but France and Canada’s recognition of Palestine didn’t go down very well with the White House. And Coalition Leader Sussan Ley said it could add to tensions between us…

Why are things tense?
The US is currently reviewing the AUKUS security pact, and trade negotiations between us are still ongoing, with Trump flagging the possibility of steep tariffs on our pharmaceutical exports to the US. Our decision to call out Israel on the international stage is a shift for us too.

How so?
It’s a significant move away from some of our traditional allies by Albanese, but he says “the risk of trying is nothing compared to the danger of letting this moment pass us by”. 

So, the fallout, if any, remains to be seen…
Stay tuned…

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Onto our Recommendations

Reading: This ABC article is a good starting point for understanding the 2-state solution and how it could work… 

Listening: If you’d like to get across the history of the long-running dispute between Israel and Palestine, this Squiz Shortcut Claire and Kate put out in July 2020 will have you sorted.

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