Australia has supported a UN vote on Palestinian membership after the draft resolution was significantly watered down in last-minute negotiations.
Australia was among 143 UN general assembly assembly members to pass the resolution calling on the security council to reconsider granting full membership to Palestine.
In a statement explaining its vote, the Australian government said it welcomed the resolution.
The government said the resolution’s language expressed “unwavering support for the two-state solution of Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security within recognized borders”, and was “a clear rejection of the goals and methods of Hamas”.
It said it was “frustrated by the lack of progress” towards a two-state solution and there was “a role for the international community to build momentum”.
“Like many other countries, our vote for this resolution is not bilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood,” it said.
“Nevertheless, Australia no longer accepts that recognition can only come at the end of the peace process.
“We have been clear there is no role for Hamas in a future Palestinian state.”
France, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand were among some of the other countries that voted for the resolution at an emergency session of the general assembly in New York on Friday.
The US and Israel were among nine countries to oppose the resolution, while 25 others abstained.
Australia was leaning towards abstaining on the original resolution, in which the UN general assembly would have requested the 15-member security council to “favourably” reconsider Palestine’s application for full UN membership status.
Last month the US used its veto power to scuttle the proposal at a security council meeting, and full membership is impossible without that body’s consent.
In addition to the symbolic move of requesting a rethink by the security council, the general assembly was to consider granting Palestine rights and privileges “to ensure its full and effective participation … on equal footing with member states”, according to a draft version of the resolution circulating among diplomats last week.
Some western sources had raised concerns that this could be inconsistent with the UN charter, because those rights would apparently take effect regardless of whether the security council revisited the membership issue.
An official with knowledge of the negotiations said the most recent version circulated by the United Arab Emirates was significantly watered down from earlier drafts and demonstrated “major concessions” by the Palestinians and the Arab Group.
The amended version enhanced the Palestinian mission to the UN with a range of new rights and privileges, in addition to what it is allowed in its current observer status, but made clear that these did not include voting rights.
Those changes allayed some of the Australian government’s earlier concerns about the resolution’s conformity with the UN charter.
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The Coalition’s foreign affairs spokesperson, Simon Birmingham, said the Albanese government had “proven overnight that they lack the courage to stand against pressure and by sound principles”.
Birmingham said the resolution sent “a shameful message that violence and terrorism get results ahead of negotiation and diplomacy”.
But the Labor Friends of Palestine grouping described it as “an important part of the pathway to peace and will provide much-needed hope for the Palestinian people”.
This was Australia’s most highly anticipated UN vote since December, when it supported an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional release of hostages.
The Australian government continues to express alarm about the “devastating” consequences of an impending Israeli ground offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians have taken shelter.
Australia was not inclined to oppose the resolution, after signals from the foreign minister, Penny Wong, about the need to kickstart progress towards a two-state solution to end the cycle of violence.
Palestinian diplomats at the UN represent the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Authority is dominated by Fatah, a rival to Hamas.
On the eve of the UN vote, YouGov released polling showing that more Australians supported Palestinian statehood than opposed it, but a very large proportion – 44% – were unsure.
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, said Labor must support “the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians to enjoy the same rights to self-determination under international law that everyone else has”.
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