STATEMENT: Recognition of Palestine must be matched with sanctions
22 September 2025
I welcome the Australian Government’s decision, alongside Canada and the United Kingdom, to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state with the Palestinian Authority. This is a significant step to ensure the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, dignity and security.
The conditions placed on the Palestinian Authority by the international community will ensure that the terrorist organisation, Hamas, does not have a role in a future independent State of Palestine. It's important to not lose sight of the horrific events of 7 October and continue to push for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages.
While this announcement is significant, mere recognition is not enough. The recent findings of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, established by the UN Human Rights Council, are deeply disturbing. The report confirms what human rights organisations have warned for months: there is overwhelming evidence that the Israeli Government, under Prime Minister Netanyahu, is committing acts that meet the legal definition of genocide in Gaza.
I continue to call on the Australian Government to impose targeted economic sanctions against the Netanyahu Government and to work with the international community for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and ensure unimpeded, safe humanitarian access into Gaza.
Australia must remain steadfast in our commitment to human rights and the rule of law. A rules-based international order only has legitimacy if it applies equally to all.
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