The UN motion was not backed by Israel or the United States.
Australia’s Labor government has again swayed from allies the United States and Israel to back two pro-Palestinian resolutions at the United Nations General Assembly.
This as authorities grapple with the firebombing of a Melbourne Jewish synagogue last week, and new
anti-semitic vandalism spree in a Jewish community.
The first resolution demanded an “immediate, unconditional and permanent” ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
While supported by 158 nations, the United States, Israel, Argentina, and Hungary were among nine nations who voted against it. Twelve countries, including the Ukraine, Panama, Georgia and Albania
abstained.
A second resolution affirmed full support for the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and deplored legislation adopted by the Israeli Knesset, which banned and severed ties with the agency.
This resolution was supported by 159 nations including Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, with the United States, Israel and Argentina voting against it.
Eleven countries, including the Netherlands, Georgia, Hungary, Austria and Bulgaria, abstained from the motion.
Politicians Respond
Foreign Minister Penny Wong defended Australia’s position in a post to X on Dec. 12, noting a large number of countries were in favour of the ceasefire motion.“For the past year, the world has been calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate and unconditional release of hostages,” she
said.
“We want this war to end and the hostages home.”
In a press conference on Dec. 11, Albanese was asked if he was ruling out a change of position at the U.N. vote.
“I’m not sure what tomorrow’s U.N. vote is. There are U.N. votes all the time but we'll vote consistent with Australia’s position,” he
said.
“I am on the record for a long time as being a supporter of the state of Israel. But I also support Palestinians having a right to have their legitimate aspirations fulfilled.”
However, Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson accused the Labor government of “gaslighting” the Jewish community on the U.N. General Assembly vote and reports of a leaked audio at Lilyfield.
“When he was asked about this, he pretended not to know what the reporters were talking about. He said there were lots of votes coming up at the United Nations,” Paterson said
on Sky News.
“The Prime Minister was gaslighting the Australian Jewish community while standing at the Sydney Jewish Museum supposedly being concerned about antisemitism.”
In a post to X following the vote, Paterson said, “these are the votes the PM pretended to know nothing about at his press conference at the Sydney Jewish Museum yesterday, despite being caught boasting at a private function that people would be “upset” by Labor’s stance on Israel at the U.N. again."
Meanwhile, former Labor Minister Mike Kelly called on the Albanese government to pause virtual signalling at the U.N. in a recent interview.
Kelly was shocked by the attack at the Jewish synagogue in Melbourne and said it made him feel “sick.”
“It’s time now to really make this a bipartisan push and pump the breaks on all this virtue signalling at the UN, which is, without question, feeding this, and really the comments from Penny Wong yesterday really aren’t helping,” he said
on Sky News.Australia’s backing of the latest two U.N. motions comes on top of the government also endorsing a U.N. resolution (
pdf) calling for Israel to end its “unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible.”
This drew criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who
linked Australia’s position at the U.N. to the alleged firebombing of the Israel synagogue in Melbourne.
Albanese announced $8.5 million
to upgrade the Sydney Jewish museum on Dec. 11, to go towards the Centre of Jewish life and Tolerance.
