The Albanese Labor government will vote in favour of a draft United Nations (U.N.) resolution to recognise the permanent sovereignty of Palestinians over the natural resources in disputed territories.
The government’s support comes even after a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said Australia did not agree with “everything in the resolution.”
The Israeli delegate said the move to block its use of resources was biased and would end up favouring the terrorist group Hamas.
Introduced by a representative of Uganda, the draft resolution calls for 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.”
“Further to the draft, it would recognise the right of the Palestinian people to claim restitution as a result of any exploitation, damage, loss or depletion or endangerment of their natural resources...,” the document said.
Australia joined the majority in supporting the draft resolution, while the United States, Canada, and Israel were among seven nations that refused.
Labor Minister Jason Clare said the move was about “building momentum to a two-state solution.”
“The bombing has killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza, in Lebanon, more than a thousand people murdered in Israel as well. What this is about is building momentum to a two-state solution,” he told Sunrise television.
The Israeli Response to the Draft
Israel’s delegate Danny Danon said the resolution was rooted in biased political motives, fearing the move could further Palestinian terror group Hamas’s efforts in the region.“The committee has chosen to single out Israel, not with one resolution but two,” he said.
“While the resolution addresses the natural resources of the Palestinian people, tragically every resource meant to benefit the Palestinians has been co-opted for Hamas war machinery.”
Israel also questioned why the committee had no resolution condemning the Houthi terrorist group, which has repeatedly attacked ships in international waters—resulting in significant environmental damage.
U.S. diplomat Nicholas Koval called it a “one-sided resolution.”
“One-sided resolutions will not help advance peace. Not when they ignore the facts on the ground,” Koval said.
“One-sided resolutions are purely rhetorical documents that seek to divide us at a time when we should be coming together. And one, we must not cling to longstanding lines of division.”
While the resolution has existed in some form for around two decades, it is the first time an Australian government has supported it.
Australia has also supported a second draft resolution levelling blame at Israel over an oil slick in Lebanon during the 2006 war, demanding the country pay compensation.
Opposition Questions Timing of the Vote
Deputy Liberal Leader Susan Ley questioned the timing of Labor’s decision to side with the draft resolution and break from the United States in maintaining a unified policy front.“Importantly, with the incoming Trump administration, this government needs to work positively and constructively and needs to build trust,” she said.
Ley said the government was already dealing with past comments from Labor minister criticising the current U.S. president-elect, notably those made by Australian Ambassador to the U.S. Kevin Rudd.
“So this government is coming off a low base when it comes to building that trust,” she said.
“Remember, we worked positively, constructively and well with the U.S., particularly in 2018 with the Trump administration.
“This is definitely a departure.”
