In a significant departure from its traditional foreign policy, Australia has voted to recognize the Palestinians’ “permanent” sovereignty over their natural resources.
The move, which came in support of two draft resolutions at the UN, angered some pro-Israel groups in Australia but drew praise from Palestinians.
The UN’s Second Committee passed a resolution that recognized the Palestinians’ sovereignty over various territories, including East Jerusalem.
It was approved with a total of 159 votes in favor and seven against. Notably, the US, Canada, and Israel voted against the resolution.
The resolution’s approval marks the end of Australia’s 20-year streak of not supporting resolutions opposing the occupation.
In November last year, the country abstained from supporting the resolution after the Islamic militant group Hamas carried out attacks against civilians in the Gaza Strip, which killed over a thousand people.
Around 250 Palestinians were also taken as hostages and triggered Israel’s war in the region.
A spokesperson for Penny Wong, the Foreign Minister of Australia, said that the country voted in support of the resolution due to concerns about Israel’s continued settlement activities and violence against the Palestinians.
The resolution, which was supported by Australia, recalls past resolutions by the UN Security Council, which have called for a two-state solution.
Prior to the vote, an Israel representative accused the committee of adopting a biased resolution. He noted that the resources allocated for the Palestinians have been used by Hamas for its war machinery.
A representative of the Palestinians noted that the vote by the committee reaffirmed their inalienable rights. These include freedom and self-determination.
The resolution condemned the ongoing violence and acts of aggression carried out by Israel against the people of Gaza. It also demanded an end to the illegal activities and policies carried out in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem.
Nicholas Koval, a political adviser for the US at the UN, criticized the committee for adopting the resolution, saying it was biased. He noted that one-sided resolutions would not help in achieving peace.
One-sided resolutions are also not helpful in achieving peace. They can only divide people at a time when they should be working together. In Australia, a local advocacy group commended the country for recognizing the Palestinians’ inalienability rights.
The president of the APAN noted that Australia’s support for the resolution shows that the international community is demanding an end to the illegal activities and policies carried out by Israel.
The vote should be regarded as a turning point for Australia. It should urge the government to use all diplomatic, financial, and political tools at its disposal in order to end the illegal occupation, apartheid, and genocide carried out by Israel in Palestine. But, the country’s Jewish community expressed its concerns about the way the country voted.
According to Dr. Colin Rubenstein, the governments of Australia have voted against the oil spill resolution since it was first presented in 2006.
He noted that the resolution was not helpful in achieving peace since it completely ignored the environmental damage caused by Hezbollah during the 2006 war. In addition, Australia voted in support of a resolution that called on Israel to take responsibility for the oil spill caused by its actions in Lebanon.
Both resolutions will be presented to the UN General Assembly for its consideration. This year, Australia joined the majority of the world body in supporting two resolutions that called for the recognition of Palestine’s rights and an immediate ceasefire.