Jewish roof bodies urge governments to reconsider Palestinian recognition

In an unprecedented joint statement, the roof bodies of Jewish communities in Australia, the UK, and Canada have urged their respective governments to reconsider recognising a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly later this month.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (Canada) expressed grave concerns that the announced recognitions would be seen by Hamas as “a reward for its violence and rejectionism towards Israel”.

The organisations said the announcements had “lessened rather than maximised pressure for the hostages’ release and for Hamas to disarm”.

“Indeed, Hamas has welcomed our governments’ declarations of an intention to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN later this month as the ‘fruits of October 7’,” the joint statement said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced in August that Australia would recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly, following similar proclamations from France, the UK and Canada.

A senior Hamas official told Nine Newspapers at the time that the terror group welcomed Australia’s recognition and that the government had shown “political courage”.

The joint statement called on governments to keep several priorities central to their diplomatic efforts: the return of all remaining hostages taken on or before October 7, 2023; the disarming of Hamas and its removal from power; unrestricted aid reaching Gaza civilians whilst ensuring it is not diverted to Hamas; and adherence to international law by all parties.

The organisations warned that recognising a Palestinian state while Hamas remained armed and in control of territory “would also be a betrayal of the Palestinians who remain under Hamas’s control and have become increasingly vocal in their opposition to being ruled by a terrorist organisation”.

They criticised their governments for not making Hamas’s disarmament and removal from power a precondition of recognition.

“Our governments are in effect saying that the fulfilment of these requirements post-recognition will be taken on trust and left for some unspecified time in the future,” the statement said. “This is a posture that lacks credibility, borders on recklessness, and sets up Palestinian statehood for failure from the outset.”

The organisations argued this approach would “set back rather than advance prospects for a genuine peace based on the internationally-endorsed principle of two states for two peoples”.

They expressed particular concern for the remaining hostages, noting Hamas videos showing they “are being starved to the point of death, are denied access to the Red Cross and do not have much time”.

The joint statement highlighted the broader security implications, noting that extremists had “answered their call for escalations in global violence by carrying out brutal assaults on Jews—citizens of each of our countries”.

When Albanese announced Australia’s recognition in August, he said it was “predicated on the commitments Australia has received from the Palestinian Authority”, including recognising Israel’s right to exist, demilitarising, holding elections, and abolishing the “pay-for-slay” program.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said at the time that nations had agreed “we cannot keep doing the same thing and hoping for a different outcome”.

However, ECAJ president Daniel Aghion had criticised the announcement, saying it departed from “decades of bipartisan consensus” and relegated key conditions to “the status of a mere promise to be fulfilled at some future time”.

Aghion said the decision was “a betrayal and abandonment of the Israeli hostages” and would leave “Hamas armed and in control of territory, and in a position to regroup and rearm”.