Palestinians in Australia argue that recognizing statehood alone is insufficient

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For Palestinian Australian Mussa Hijazi, Australia’s announcement that it intends to recognise a Palestinian state is a “distraction” from the realities on the ground in the Palestinian territories.

The Canberra-based lawyer, who was born in Australia and grew up in the Occupied West Bank, described Monday’s announcement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as a “symbolic move”.

“I think the recognition itself is probably important from a symbolic point of view, but to be honest, it’s not what we’ve been calling for the last two years, or indeed for the last 57 years, or for 77 years since 1948,” he told SBS News.

‘We’re not marching for recognition’

“We haven’t been marching for recognition. We have been marching and calling out for an end to the genocide that is taking place in Palestine,” he said.

“All this is doing in the meantime is creating a distraction from what is happening on the ground,” he said.

The Israeli government, backed by the United States, fiercely denies the charge and says it is fighting to defeat Hamas and to bring back Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.

The conflict escalated in October 2023 when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel’s subsequent military campaign has since killed more than 61,000 people in Gaza, according to the Palestinian enclave’s health authorities.

When announcing the decision on Monday, Albanese said recognition of Palestinian statehood would hinge on a guarantee that Hamas, the Palestinian political and militant group that governs Gaza and which Australia has proscribed as a terror group, played no role in its future government.

Hijazi said there were “conditions” placed on the recognition that are unlikely to be met, and there were more “meaningful” actions the government could take.

“So, apparently, that [recognition] is going to achieve something? However, stopping the supply of weapon parts or armoured steel to Israel, apparently, will not make a difference,” he said.

“The reality is, if we and everyone else did that, if we stopped the export of arms to Israel, this would stop.”

Will recognising Palestinian statehood lead to change on the ground?

Jessica Genauer, a senior lecturer in international relations at Flinders University, agreed the decision to recognise Palestinian statehood was largely symbolic.

“This decision is symbolically important, and it indicates a shift in momentum in the international arena around galvanising support to ensure that the humanitarian crisis ongoing in the Gaza Strip is addressed,” Genauer told SBS News.

While Genauer said the recognition of Palestinian statehood was significant in showing there’s an increase in support to end the conflict, she said it won’t directly lead to a change in Gaza.

“It’s significant, but it doesn’t have a lot of practical implications,” she said.

“It’s not going to have a mechanism to create an immediate tangible effect on the ground in terms of, for example, a truck being able to get through into the Gaza Strip or a cessation of hostilities.”

The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) said on Monday the recognition of statehood was being used as a distraction.

APAN president Nasser Mashni said: “Recognition without decisive action is an insult to Palestinians, and nothing but a veneer that allows Israel to continue brutalising Palestinians with no consequences.”

A graph showing countries that recognise Palestinian statehood.

More than 140 of 193 UN member states already recognise a Palestinian state. Source: SBS News

“Australia must stop enabling apartheid and genocide by cutting all military ties, imposing sanctions akin to those we’ve placed on Russia, and standing up for Palestinian self-determination in their historic homeland,” Mashni said.

But Genauer said she doesn’t think Australia would impose any of these calls, including sanctions.

She said the Albanese government is still taking a centrist approach and is unlikely to impose extra limitations on Israel, especially if other countries are not doing so.

“I don’t think the Australian government [is] necessarily wanting to take steps that we don’t see other partners taking,” she said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised plans by Australia and other countries to recognise a Palestinian state on Monday.

“To have European countries and Australia march into that rabbit hole, just like that, fall right into it and buy this canard is disappointing, and I think it’s actually shameful,” Netanyahu said, adding that it wouldn’t change Israel’s position.

More than 140 of 193 UN member states already recognise a Palestinian state.

Genauer said a public sentiment shift may have also been behind the recognition.

“I think that this doesn’t represent a massive shift in policy or approach for the Australian government,” Genauer said. “The Albanese government is going to follow what they see to be a majority opinion within the Australian domestic population.”

A Palestinian flag flies next to the Australian flag on top of Parliament House.

Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in September. Credit: Lukas Coch/AAP

Earlier this month, a poll by DemosAU suggested a shift in Australians’ views on Palestinian statehood. The survey of more than 1,000 people found that 45 per cent of respondents supported Australia recognising a Palestinian state before a negotiated peace agreement, with 23 per cent opposed.

Levels of support were highest among those aged 18-34 at 57 per cent, while people aged 55 and above were more likely to be opposed, at 28 per cent.

It marked an increase in support since May 2024, when a separate poll from the same firm found 35 per cent of Australians supported recognition of a Palestinian state, with 22 per cent opposed.

On 3 August, tens of thousands of people marched across Sydney’s Harbour Bridge in opposition to the war — Australia’s largest protest since it began.

Organisers said around 300,000 people participated in the protest, while NSW Police put the figure lower, at 90,000.

A large group of people marching across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, many holding Palestinian flags.

Pro-Palestinian protesters marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge earlier this month. Source: AAP / Ayush Kumar / SOPA Images / Sipa USA

No real change without UN recognition

In order for a country to be formally recognised in the UN, it needs to pass through the UN Security Council.

The State of Palestine is currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood granted by the General Assembly in 2012.

“Even though Australia might recognise Palestine as a state, this is not the same thing as Palestine getting that important international recognition as a state in the United Nations,” Genauer said.

Should Palestine be formally recognised as a state in the UN, it would mean they would have access to channels and mechanisms of support that they wouldn’t have as a territory or non-member observer, Genauer said.

The move would also come with questions about what the internationally recognised borders of that state would be.

“That gets into the heart of the dispute in the entire conflict between Israelis and Palestinians — resolving or addressing that question would be incredibly significant for Palestinians on the ground,” Genauer said.

The decision would also mean questions about the government would be ignited, including what the governance structures would be and how a centralised government would operate.

But there’s still a big obstacle in the way of that — the United States.

On the UN council, the five countries that are permanent members have veto power: China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US. That means they can reject any resolution of the Security Council, regardless of the level of support from other members.

While Genauer said four of those countries are likely to let the recognition of Palestinian statehood pass — France, the UK, China and Russia — the US will likely still veto the vote.

In April last year, the US wielded its veto power to block the UN from recognising a Palestinian state.

It was the sole country of the 15-member council to vote against it — two countries abstained, while the remaining 12 voted in favour of it.

But Genauer does say she thinks that could shift in the future, which could lead to formal recognition.

“The US is the only country that is applying a veto to that recognition. If there’s a change of administration in the United States … or if there’s a real U-turn in policy from the Trump presidency, all the other pieces are in place for Palestine to get recognised as a state,” she said.

“We are one small, but very important, step away.”

But despite UN obstacles, Australia’s decision still carries weight.

“Australia is a very strong and important middle power in the international arena.

“The decisions that we make do matter and provide weight and support to an international direction.”