Australia has just thrown its support behind a UN proposal recognising Palestinian “permanent sovereignty” over natural resources in occupied territories. This marks a significant shift in Australia’s stance, breaking away from its usual allies, the United States and Israel.
The draft resolution found support from 155 countries voting in favour, including Australia, the UK, New Zealand, France, Germany, and Japan.
The resolution calls for the UN to acknowledge the “permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources”. Essentially it’s asking Israel to stop targetting and controlling Palestinian natural resources.
This marks the first time in more than 20 years that Australia has voted ‘yes’ on a UN resolution calling for “permanent sovereignty” in some form.
According to a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, although Australia doesn’t agree with everything in the resolution, this vote is all about showing concern over “Israeli actions that impede access to natural resources, and ongoing settlement activity, land dispossession, demolitions and settler violence against Palestinians”.
This vote does not change Australia’s stance on a two-party solution. “We have been clear that such acts undermine stability and prospects for a two-state solution,” the spokesperson said.
Not everyone’s stoked about this change. The Zionist Federation of Australia is “alarmed”, calling it an “abandonment of Australia’s ally”, per SBS.
On the flip side, the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network is cheering, calling it a “long-overdue recognition”.
“The resolution seeks to address the longstanding and ongoing impacts of Israel’s illegal occupation, exploitation, and destruction of Palestinian natural resources, which has deeply eroded the environmental and economic health of Palestinian communities.”
President of the network Nasser Mashni said, “This vote should be a turning point for the Australian Government — it must recognise and act upon its legal obligation to use all economic, political and diplomatic tools at its disposal to help end Israel’s genocide, illegal occupation, and apartheid in Palestine.”
Australia also supported another draft that holds Israel responsible for an oil slick that affected Lebanon during the 2006 war, demanding compensation for the incident.
This decision comes after the Albanese government’s recent shift towards a firmer stance on Israel’s actions in Gaza. Over the past year, Australia has taken several notable positions at the UN, including supporting a ceasefire resolution in December and backing increased Palestinian participation in May.
So, what’s next? The resolution is heading to the UN General Assembly for a final vote. Whether this will actually change anything on the ground remains to be seen.
Lead image: Getty Images
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