Australia’s NSW Labor urges ‘unconditional’ recognition of Palestine

At present, 137 nations recognise the State of Palestine, with Australia among other prominent Western nations not to have done so.

A campaign within NSW Labor, headed by Australian former premier Bob Carr, won unanimous support on Sunday, with only a single delegate voting against the motion.

"As the oldest, the greatest, the biggest state branch we can't afford to be stranded in history," Mr Carr said, according to Sky News Australia.

"It is time now for another historic shift in Labor party foreign policy. We must balance our just recognition of Israel with the equally just recognition of Palestine."

NSW joins other Labor branches in the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania, and Queensland in backing Palestinian statehood, together with former leaders Kevin Rudd and Bob Hawke.

The NSW chapter's previous position stated that it would work to recognise Palestine if no progress towards a two-state solution was made.

On Monday, however, senior Labor figures downplayed any urgent move, saying that federal Labor would not be pressured by Australian states.

"The suggestion that's been made by some people that it might be time for unilateral recognition is something that flies in the face of international law, flies in the face of any circumstances which could actually assist the parties to this long-running conflict in the Middle East," shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said, according to SBS Australia.

Palestine recognition in 'Australia's interest'

Palestinian Authority envoy Izzat Abdulhadi said on Monday that he was confident federal Labor would join state branches and vote to recognise Palestine in next year's federal conference.

As a global "middle power", Australia has a moral obligation to recognise Palestine and encourage a two-state solution as Palestinian territory continues to shrink.

"Otherwise the two-state solution is fading totally," he said.

"There will not be any future to save the two-state solution and we will be left with one apartheid state, which is a recipe for bloodshed and conflict for the coming 100 years," he told SBS Australia.

"Australia is interested in the global issues in the Middle East now, the terrorism and counter-terrorism issue. It's in the best interests of Australia, actually, to solve this problem."

More than 70 percent of the 193 members of the United Nations recognise Palestine as a state.

The United States and most countries in Western Europe remain notable exceptions.