As the Australian Government announces its intention to recognise the State of Palestine, the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) warns that this recognition is being used as a political fig leaf to deflect from the urgent legal obligations Australia must uphold under the Genocide Convention, to shield Israel from legal accountability for its genocide and apartheid, and to normalise relations with the apartheid, genocidal state.
This recognition comes while Israel is committing an ongoing genocide in Gaza, which has been livestreamed to the world for almost two years.
Israel continues to bomb homes, refugee camps, hospitals, universities, schools, mosques and churches and civilian infrastructure.
It continues to deliberately starve more than two million people, and arbitrarily arrest, hold hostage, mistreat and torture Palestinians in what Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem has called its prison system of “torture camps.”
It continues to assassinate Palestinian journalists to prevent them from speaking the truth about Israel’s genocide and apartheid.
It is still expanding illegal settlements across the illegally occupied West Bank, and has openly declared its intention to permanently annex Palestinian land.
Recognition is completely meaningless while Australia continues to arms, trade with, diplomatically protect and encourage other states to normalise relations with the very state perpetrating these atrocities, and with Israeli leaders wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
Palestinian rights are not a gift to be granted by western states. They are not dependent on negotiation with, or the behaviour or approval of their colonial oppressors.
Nor are they crumbs to be thrown to Palestinians by western states in lieu of taking the real action they are legally bound to take under the Genocide Convention.
Self-determination is justice, it is a legal and inalienable right. It includes Palestinians’ right to return to their historic homeland, freedom from military occupation and the dismantling of Israel’s apartheid system, which continues to oppress Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and in 1948 Palestine, where they are forced to live under a racist legal system inside Israel, itself.
The Australian Government must not use recognition as a bargaining chip or as a token to deflect from its urgent legal obligations to prevent and punish Israel’s genocide. And when Australia recognises Palestine, the public must not relent in pushing instead for what is truly needed.
Australia must urgently:
- Impose country-level sanctions on Israel, and sanction all Israeli individuals and entities responsible for and complicit in its war crimes in Gaza.
- Impose a two-way arms embargo, ending the direct and indirect import and export of weapons and components.
- Reject any framework that conditions Palestinian self-determination on Israeli security.
- Suspend all trade agreements with Israel and withdraw support for Israeli normalisation while it continues to commit genocide and apartheid in historic Palestine.
- Support full legal accountability for Israeli officials responsible for war crimes, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
There is no peace without justice for Palestine. And there is no justice for Palestine until western states, including Australia, end the genocide by ending their own complicity in Israel’s genocide and apartheid.
Comments by APAN President Nasser Mashni: “The Australian Government’s announcement of its plan to recognise the State of Palestine is tantamount to it declaring its intention to entrench the status quo of Israeli genocide, apartheid and illegal occupation of Palestinians in their historic homeland.
“Community outrage has erupted over Australia’s complicity in Israel genocide, and this announcement of recognition is a cynical political smokescreen, an empty gesture designed to shield Australia’s economic, military and diplomatic ties, protect Israel and enable this rogue state to continue its deadly war crimes with impunity.
“Recognition without decisive action is an insult to Palestinians, and nothing but a veneer that allows Israel to continue brutalising Palestinians with no consequences.
“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.”
