TRANSCRIPT
Australia has voted in favour of Palestine becoming a full member of the United Nations.
Australia is among the 143 nations who voted in support of the draft resolution, which recommends the UN Security Council reconsider granting Palestine full membership.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the vote aligns with a long-held bipartisan Australian position.
"We know that for some time we've had a bipartisan position of the need for a two state solution. If you look at the resolution that was carried in the UN overnight, It spoke about the 1967 borders. So it was a resolution consistent with Palestinians having the right to live in peace and security, side by side with Israel. It was a resolution that also by referring to the 1967 boundaries, affirmed the need for Israel to continue to exist insecurity with peace and stability as well."
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australia's vote is part of building momentum to secure peace in the region.
However, she says that voting in favour of the resolution does not indicate that Australia recognises a Palestinian state yet.
"This resolution retained the observer status of the Palestinian mission, with the extension of some modest additional rights to participate in the United Nations forums. It did not give the Palestinian mission membership of the United Nations. It did not give the Palestinian mission voting rights at the General Assembly. What it did do, consistent with a two state solution, was to express the General Assembly's aspiration for Palestinian membership of the United Nations, noting that this must be recommended by the UN Security Council, consistent with the UN Charter. It did not indicate the United Nations or Australia recognised a Palestinian state."
Whilst falling short of granting full membership, the resolution provides a modest extension of Palestinian observer rights at the United Nations.
Dr Bryce Wakefield from the Australian Institute of International Affairs has told Channel Nine the decision does allow Palestine to take a seat among the General Assembly.
"There are some substantial parts to it. So Palestine can put things on the United Nations agenda and it can place its staff and committees, but it does fall short of a resolution calling for statehood for Palestine, which is their aspiration. It does say though that the aspiration is still there and that the members will generally support in the future at some stage."
The Prime Minister says it's important for Palestinians to have representation in the United Nations.
"There is no doubt that the international community will have to play a role, as we go forward. And that is why having the international community have some representation there from Palestinians was worthy of our support. "
The United States, Israel, and seven others voted against the draft resolution.
25 others, including Canada and the United Kingdom, abstained from the vote.
The opposition is criticising the government's decision to support the vote, and argues that by stepping out of line with important allies, Australia is sending a shameful message.
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison wrote on social media that the vote is the most hostile policy act of any Australian government towards Israel.
Opposition Foreign Affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham says the government has folded to pressure, and, in doing so, is rewarding violence.
"The government back-flipped in relation to what had been a long standing bipartisan position: that Australia would recognise a future Palestinian state following a negotiated two-state solution in which difficult questions like future borders, rights of return, and other questions around security guarantees were appropriately resolved. It sends the wrong signals because it will be viewed by Hamas, Iran, and other terrorists as a reward for their efforts."
But the Prime Minister says he rejects the notion that supporting Palestinians means going against Israelis.
"You can support human rights for Palestinians without it denigrating the human rights of Israeli citizens."
Penny Wong says the resolution changed considerably between when it was first drafted and when it was voted on and insists that Australia's support is a firm rejection of the desires of Hamas.
"I have been clear there is no role for Hamas in a future Palestinian state. A Palestinian state cannot be in a position to threaten Israel’s security. And I would say this, the Palestinian Authority has a role to play here. We want to see a Palestinian Authority that has undertaken the necessary reforms for it to take up its responsibilities over a unified West Bank in Gaza. We want to see a Palestinian governing authority that is committed to peace, that disavows violence and is ready to engage in a meaningful political process. We want to see a commitment to peace in how the Palestinian Authority leads its people."
Saturday's vote comes as international pressure mounts against Israel as it ignores warnings against an invasion in Rafah.
Around 1.3 million people, including 600,000 children, are currently taking refuge in Rafah as Israel pushes on with it's offensive.
Greens Senator Max Chandler-Mather says the vote is a small step in the right direction.
"Let's be real. this is nowhere near enough to stop Israel's genocidal invasion of Gaza and Rafah, and frankly, if Labor was serious about standing up to Israel that would ban their two way arms trade with Israel, including cancelling the Elbit Systems contract, and they would expel the Israeli ambassador. Enough is enough. Over 35,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israel."
He says many Australians are feeling outrage at what is happening in the Middle East.
"Netanyahu has signalled that they are beginning a genocidal invasion of Rafah, were 600,000 Kids are crammed in many of them with infectious diseases, deeply vulnerable with disabilities. There's a lot of Australians looking on in horror at the moment, and there will be horrified to learn that the Australian Government still refuses to ban arm sprayed with Israel and still refuses to expel the Israeli ambassador, when we have a country in Israel, carrying out actively before our eyes, a genocide in Gaza and in Rafah"
