NextFin news, Australian Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has committed to revoking Australia's recognition of Palestine if the Coalition wins the next federal election, according to a letter she sent to Republican members of the United States Congress on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
The letter was dispatched ahead of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's address to the United Nations General Assembly, where he defended Australia's recent decision to formally recognise a Palestinian state alongside the United Kingdom and Canada. This recognition was accelerated in response to Israel's actions in Gaza.
In his UN speech, Albanese highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and called on the Israeli government to accept responsibility for the ongoing conflict, illegal settlement expansions, and threats to displace Palestinians, which he said jeopardise the two-state solution.
Albanese stated, "We must break this cycle of violence and build something better," emphasizing the need for reconstruction and reform following recognition.
Opposition Leader Ley expressed disappointment at the government's break with bipartisan consensus on the issue and reaffirmed the Coalition's stance that recognition should only follow a negotiated two-state solution. She told Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Monday that the Coalition would reverse the recognition if elected.
In her letter to the US Republicans, Ley reassured them that the Coalition opposes the recognition and would reverse it, stating, "The path to a two-state solution can only be achieved after Hamas has been removed from power in Gaza and all hostages have been released, not before." She also criticized the Albanese government for allowing the Australia-US relationship to drift and announced plans to visit the US in December to strengthen the alliance.
The letter comes amid warnings from 25 Republican Congress members who cautioned Australia and its allies against recognising Palestine, threatening possible punitive measures for diverging from longstanding US policy.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong criticized Ley's unilateral approach, saying on Tuesday that "Australia is strongest when our country speaks with one voice," and described Ley's actions as "going rogue" on foreign policy.
Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has indicated that no meeting between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Albanese will occur during the UN General Assembly, although a future meeting remains possible.
The dispute over Palestine recognition marks a significant foreign policy divergence between the Labor government and the Coalition opposition, adding strain to Australia’s international relations, particularly with the United States and Israel.
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