Australia may soon recognize Palestinian statehood: FM Wong

Australia could recognize Palestinian statehood even before a formal “peace process” between Palestinian authorities and “Israel” is done, according to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, hours after the country joined 143 other nations in a United Nations Security Council resolution to expand the rights and privileges of the Palestinian delegation in New York.

Wong stated that the vote was “not about whether Australia recognizes Palestine” as its own state and said at a press conference in Adelaide, “We will do that when we think the time is right.”

“What we would say, and what I do say, is Australia no longer believes that recognition can only come at the end of a peace process… It could occur as part of a peace process,” she added.

During the voting, nine countries voted against – including the United States and “Israel” – and the United Kingdom abstained. 

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As the resolution did not provide the Palestinian authority membership of the United Nations General Assembly, it currently remains in observer status, and the UNSC would need to agree to full membership first. 

Wong noted, “Much of our region and many of our partners also voted yes, including our ally New Zealand, our special and strategic partner Japan, our comprehensive strategic partners Indonesia, Singapore and the Republic of Korea.”

She stressed, “Having said that, this is not the way we would have done things or the resolution Australia would have proposed… But we have to deal with the vote that is before us.”

Voting and divesting – maybe…

Palestine, which has had observer status at the world body since 2012, has lobbied for years to gain full membership, which would amount to the recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Any request to become a UN member state must first pass through the Security Council, where “Israel’s” ally the United States wields a veto, and then be endorsed by the General Assembly.

According to the Palestinian side, 137 of the 193 UN member states already recognize a Palestinian state, raising hope that their request would be supported in the General Assembly.

Just yesterday, a spokesperson for one of Australia’s largest pension funds, Cbus, confirmed that the company is looking into its investment policy after pressure from a major union to divest shares in companies that provide weapons and defense technology to “Israel”.

In a statement, the spokesperson said that this comes amid “community concern over the conflict and loss of life in Gaza and Israel,” adding, “Cbus’s exclusions framework is currently under review to ensure it remains reflective of the current environment and responsive to our members’ concerns, while also ensuring we meet all of our regulatory obligations.”

This comes exactly two months after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese became the first Western leader to be referred to the ICC for being an “accessory to genocide” in Gaza.

According to attorney Sheryn Omeri in an interview for ABC‘s News Breakfast, he has been referred as a result of having supplied financial and political support for “Israel”, which has now killed over 35,000 martyrs in Gaza. 

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