Australia has announced that it intends to recognize the Palestinian state in September, following similar actions undertaken by the United Kingdom, France and Canada, according to the BBC.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said this move will take place at the UN General Assembly and after receiving commitments from the Palestinian authority.
“A solution with two states is the best hope of humanity to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to end the conflict, suffering and famine in Gaza,” he said on Monday.
Israel, which is under increasing pressure to end the war in Gaza, said that the recognition of a Palestinian state “rewards terrorism.”
The Palestinian authority, which controls parts of the Israeli -occupied Westordan, has previously said that the recognition of the state demonstrates increasing support for the self -determination of its people.
Albanese said the decision was taken after his government received commitments from the Palestinian authority, Mahmoud Abbas, that Hamas will play no role in any future state.
What does the recognition of a Palestinian state actually mean? The 4 conditions
In international law, the 1933 Montevideo Convention established four conditions for the recognition of a sovereign state: a permanent population, well -defined borders, a functional government and the ability to maintain international relations. Objective criteria that do not include recognition by other countries as a prerequisite for the full existence of a state. In other words, the existence of a state is independent of its recognition by other states.
The state of Palestine is already recognized by three quarters of the UN Member States (147 of 193 countries), recalls the conservative Israeli newspaper “Yediot Aharonot” in its English edition.
Among these countries, “The Guardian” notes, are states of weight such as China, India and Russia. In May 2024, other European countries, including Ireland, Spain and Norway, joined Slovenia a month later, recognized the state of Palestine, while Mexico did this earlier this year.
“When France announced its intention to recognize Palestine, no G7 country had engaged [încă] In this regard, ”the British newspaper points out.
The Israeli press quickly questioned the political and diplomatic share of French and British statements, realizing that they could open the way to other recognitions, especially from Canada and Australia.
“Yediot Aharonot” presents the opinion of Israeli lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky, who believes that the Palestinian authority does not meet the fundamental legal criteria to become a state, especially because of the absence of “defined borders, the ability to maintain authentic diplomatic relations and a real interest for peace.”
For his part, Sky News (United States) notes that Palestine state borders are to be established: “Many believe that they should be the same as before 1967, but since then, an increasing number of Israeli settlements have been set up in the Westordan, where about 600,000 Israelians, as well as in Jerusalem, are now living.”
Due to the military occupation of Israel, in the Westordan, the Palestinian authority, established following the peace agreements of the 1990s, does not have full control over its territory or population. Gaza, where Israel is also occupying power, is in the middle of a devastating war.
Given its status of quasi-state, recognition is inevitably somewhat symbolic. It will represent a strong moral and political statement, but will change a little on the ground.
But symbolism is strong. As the Foreign Secretary David Lammy emphasized in his UN Tuesday's speech, “the United Kingdom wears a special burden of responsibility to support the solution with two states.”
He continued to cite the Balfour statement of 1917 – signed by his predecessor as Foreign Secretary, Arthur Balfour – who first expressed the support of the United Kingdom for “setting up a national home for the Jewish people.”
Israel was founded in 1948, but the efforts to create a parallel state, Palestine, failed for a variety of reasons.
The state of Palestine has a “permanent observer state” status, allowing participation, but without voting rights.
Washington has recognized the Palestinian authority, currently led by Mahmoud Abbas, since the mid-1990s, but failed to recognize a state itself.
Several American presidents have expressed their support for the eventual creation of a Palestinian state. But Donald Trump is not one of them. Under his two administrations, US policy has strongly inclined in favor of Israel.
Without the support of the nearest and most powerful ally of Israel, it is impossible to imagine a process of peace that will lead to a final solution with two states.
For drafting this article were used as BBC and Courrier International sources
