Australia, Canada and UK Recognise Palestine as a State

On 21 September 2025, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom joined 151 of 193 member states of the United Nations in recognising Palestine as a sovereign state.

And while the move is intended to pressure Israel into putting an end to the genocide in Gaza and proliferation of illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank, there are concerns it will lead to further atrocities being committed against Palestinians in the occupied territories.

Impetus for recognition

Australia’s intention to formally recognise Palestine as a sovereign state has been foreshadowed by the Albanese government since at least mid-2023, solidifying thereafter commensurate with Israel’s increasingly brazen breaches of international law – which have included an escalation in the destruction of critical infrastructure such as hospitals and schools, targeting killings of hundreds of medical staff and journalists, as well as thousands of civilians in ‘safe-zones’, an increase in illegal settlements in the Westbank, blockades on humanitarian aid leading to widespread famine and disease, and pronouncements by prominent Israeli politicians including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalalel Smotrich who, in the words of Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, “have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights” and used “[e]xtremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements”, including calls for Gaza to be “ethnically cleansed” of Palestinians.

It also follows the targeted bombing on 9 September 2025 by the Israeli Defence Force of a delegation in Qatar who were attempting to negotiate a ceasefire and hostage release, as well as the publication of a report on 16 September 2025 by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Palestine (the Genocide Commission) which found that Israel’s conduct towards Palestinians in the Gaza Strip fulfils the definition of genocide in international law.

That finding is consistent with a resolution passed on 28 July 2025 by the world’s leading authority on the law of genocide, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, as well as with findings by several other leading organisations including Amnesty International, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, United States Center for Consitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B’Tselem), The International Court of Justice (the ICJ, whose investigation is ongoing) as well as several nations – 14 of which have formally backed South Africa’s genocide case in the ICJ – and over 800 leading academics, many of whom are Israeli Jews.

Recognition

According to Minister Wong, “Australia’s recognition of Palestine… is part of a co-ordinated international effort to build new momentum for a two-state solution, starting with a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages taken in the atrocities of October 7, 2023.”

In a press conference at United Nations headquarters in New York on 21 September 2025, Prime Minister Albanese said:

“We have had in Australia a long-term position on a bipartisan basis of two states. One of those states is, of course, Israel. The other, of course, is Palestine. And this recognition being announced today, in sync with our international partners, the United Kingdom and Canada, means that three of the Five Eyes nations are all making this decision today.

We recognise the legitimate and long held aspirations of the people of Palestine of a state of their own. And in doing so, we reaffirm Australia’s long standing of two states, the state of Israel and the state of Palestine, living side by side behind internationally recognised borders and peace and security…

This is a moment of opportunity for nations of goodwill to work together to see the hostages taken in the atrocities of October 7, 2023 returned immediately and with dignity, to bring about an immediate ceasefire and to bring an end to the humanitarian catastrophe which is being inflicted on Gaza, to see vital aid, food, water, medicine for people in need.

Significance

The move to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state is largely symbolic.

It means Australia will now use the term ‘State of Palestine’ or ‘Palestine’ instead of the ‘Occupied Palestinian Territories’, thereby recognising its nationhood.

The move could, however, pave the way for the establishment of an Australian embassy in Palestine and the strengthening of bi-lateral diplomatic relations.

There are also hopes the growing worldwide calls for an end to Israel’s genocidal conduct will ultimately bring about an end to the atrocities and, in time, enable the region to stabilise and utltimately adopt a two-state solution.

Expectations of Palestine

Both Mr Albanese and Ms Wong have made clear that Australia expects the Palestinian Authority – which currently represents Palestinians in the West Bank – to continue to recognise Israel’s right to exist (it has long recognised this), to commit to holding democratic elections (which it has also already done), to agree to a ceasefire (it has also already agreed to this, despite Israel’s efforts to derail the negotiation process) and to agree that Hamas is to have no place in any future Palestinian government (it has also agreed to this).

Albanese and Wong also expect the demilitarisation of Gaza (which is controlled by Hamas) and release of the remaining 48 hostages being detained by Hamas.

Backlash and concerns 

The decision by Australia, Canada and UK to recognise the State of Palestine has been vehemently criticised by both the Israeli and United States government.

Benjamin Netanyahu said – against whom the International Court of Justice issued an arrest warrant in April 2025 for war crimes perpetrated in Gaza – said the move is “rewarding terrorism”, boasted that “we doubled Jewish settlement in Jusea and Samaria”, bragged that “for years, I have prevented the establishment of this terrorist state despite tremendous pressure both domestically and internationally” and asserted that “a Palestinian state will not be established”; issuing this ominous warning: “The response to the latest attempt to impose a terrorist state in the heart of our land will be given after my return from the United States. Wait for it.”

A group of 25 United States Republican lawmakers, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Trump loyalist Elise Stefanik, sent a letter to Mr Albanese as well as French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warning that ‘punitive measures’ will be taken against the nations’ recognition of Palestine.

The letter states in part:

“This is a reckless policy that undermines prospects for peace. It sets the dangerous precedent that violence, not diplomacy, is the most expedient means for terrorist groups like Hamas to achieve their political aims.

This misguided effort to reward terrorism also imperils the security of your own countries.

Proposed recognition is coinciding with sharp increases in antisemitic activity in each of your countries. Jews are facing unprecedented harassment and attacks against them are becoming a common occurrence.

Proceeding with recognition will put your country at odds with longstanding U.S. policy and interests and may invite punitive measures in response.”

The concern, of course, is that with the backing of the United States, Israel could ramp up its atrocities against Palestinians, as well as the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and campaign of ethnic cleansing.