August 11, 2025 — New York, NY
Today’s announcement by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong that Australia will recognize Palestinian statehood next month at the United Nations General Assembly is deeply disappointing and counterproductive.
Such a unilateral move ignores the complex realities on the ground – particularly that the Palestinian Authority does not control all Palestinian territories it claims, including Gaza, which is governed by Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization committed to the destruction of Israel and Jewish people.
This announcement, along with similar actions by the UK, France, and Canada, empowers and strengthens Hamas as the group continues to refuse to negotiate an agreement for the release of the remaining hostages and a ceasefire.
While we welcome the Australian government’s assertion that it will hold the Palestinian Authority to certain commitments – “including to reform governance, terminate prisoner payments, institute schooling reform, demilitarise and hold general elections”– what is not clear is what implementation will look like or how progress will be measured. Unilateral recognition removes pressure from the Palestinian Authority to carry out these essential reforms, weakens the incentive for it to return to the negotiating table, and marginalizes voices seeking compromise.
We urge the Australian government to reconsider unilateral recognition and instead undertake mechanisms at the UN General Assembly next month to delegitimize Hamas, including sanctions, and call on the UN Secretary-General António Guterres to blacklist Hamas for committing conflict-related sexual violence. These are steps that can move us closer to a long-term peace.
While fully aware of the challenges of establishing a self-sustaining, demilitarized, Palestinian state which poses no security threat to Israel, AJC continues to believe that the best long-term interests of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples lies in pursuing a two-state solution negotiated by the parties. And while there are steps the international community can take to move us closer to this goal, unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood is not one of them.
AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 regional offices across the United States, 15 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org.
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