Australia and the World Past and Present

If we go back a few years ago, it was very unlikely that Australia, the UK and Canada would have recognised a Palestinian state.

There wasn’t much impetus for it. There wasn’t much movement.

Australian governments had long believed that lasting peace in the Middle East would depend on a two-state solution. A lot of work on two-state solution was being made in the 1990s. There was a lot of discussion between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, with a lot of US involvement.

But thing stalled. On one level, Israelis leaders, Palestinian leaders and the international community know what needs to done for a lasting peace in Israel/ Palestine. Israel needs permanent security. Palestinians need a permanent home. All need security and respect and the ability to live their lives in peace, free from fear and oppression.

But talks often break down over the detail. Which steps will be first? Which will be second? Timelines are difficult to create and agree upon. What happens if a ceasefire is broken? Is the whole plan thrown out and we are back at square one?

The extremists on either side can never have what they want. A Palestinian state incorporating all of the land that Israel now occupies is not possible. That would require wiping out of the Israeli state and Israeli people.

Likewise, the idea that Israeli can remove the Palestinians from Gaza and the West bank and incorporate them as part of Israel is not plausible. Where would these millions of people go?

The expansion of Jewish settlements has been problematic. Such moves are widely viewed by the international community as a violation of historical borders and make a final settlement even more difficult.

In a situation such as the Israel-Palestine conflict, there will have to be compromise in order to find a permanent settlement. Neither side will get all that it wants. And leaders of the various sides will have to contend with domestic hardliners who press for more. They will have to be content with being labelled as ‘sell outs’ by some of their own people. But there is no real alternative.

In the immediate aftermath of the 7 October attacks, support for Israel was at its peak. Israelis were attacked on sovereign soil. A right to self-defense was justified. The conflict has twisted and turned over the last two years.

The governments of other countries accept that all hostages held by Hamas should be released.

Still, Hamas will not give them up.

And Hamas will not stop fighting.

As the war as had continued, it has also become a PR nightmare for Israel. The total blockade of Gaza, the non-distribution of humanitarian aid, the lack of water, food and medicine for civilians, the unbelievable destruction of homes and buildings, the constant movement of people within Gaza who are internally displaced. They constantly seek safe zones but where is safe in Gaza? All of this and more make it harder and harder for Israeli to defend its actions in the realm of public opinion.

Some in the West already viewed the conflict through an oppressor / oppressed lens.

Even before the latest iteration of the conflict, some people in Western democracies referred to Israel as an Apartheid state, even though Israel is multi-racial and and has a multi-religious population.

Nevertheless, for those who held critical view of Israel, events since October 7 have only reinforced it.

In Australia, the war in Gaza triggered renewed debate. The Greens in particular took a pro-Palestinian stance, with members event shouting pro-Palestinian chants in the federal parliament.

The initial response of the federal government was to reaffirm its support for a two-state solution.

In May 2024, Australia’s Foreign Minister hinted that the country may recognise a Palestinian state before a comprehensive peace process had been concluded.

Previously, recognition of a Palestinian state had been seen as an outcome of a final agreement. It was to be one part of a suite of outcomes. Statehood was to be a reward for peace. Not statehood before peace.

In July of this year, UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer announced that the UK would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel made substantive steps towards ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and makes process towards a two-state solution.

In the same month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada too would recognise a Palestinian state at the 80th UN General Assembly meeting but on the condition of certain PLO reforms, elections, demilitarisation and that Hamas plays no future role.

Australia, Canada and the UK all recognised Palestinian statehood on 21 September 2025.

Clearly, these three counties had had enough. They believed that the situation in Gaza had become unsustainable.

They believed that the recognition of statehood would have some positive effect on the situation on Gaza and help to revive the peace process.

Time will tell if this is the case.

Predictably, Netanyahu was furious. He views such action as playing into the hands of Hamas and rewards them for the terrorism.

I’m sure that Israeli leaders ask how they got to the situation in which they find themselves. Israelis were the ones who suffered a terrorist attack on October 7. They were forced defend themselves. It was Israeli citizens who were taken hostage and continue to be held by Hamas. But for most governments around the world – even supporters of Israel – the situation in Gaza has just become unsustainable.

The action of Australia, Canada and the UK will be keenly felt in Israel. It is a significant development because it shows that even Israel’s closest friends have limits to their support.

The latest flare up in Gaza has exposed cracks between Israel and its allies.

State recognition by Australia, Canada and the UK further isolates Israel and makes it even more dependent on the US.