SWC Denounces Australian Labor Party’s Motion Calling for Recognition of “Palestine”

June 21, 2023

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is calling out the Australian Labor Party who passed a motion calling for the federal Australian government to “move immediately to recognize Palestine” during a Victorian Party conference on Sunday. The measure was “carried by the voices,” meaning it had overwhelming support so there was no formal vote.

“In re-affirming the resolution carried at the 2018 and 2021 national conferences, the Albanese government will join with 138 countries, and the Vatican, which have already done so,” Sunday’s motion read. In 2018 and 2021, Labor's national conference backed a resolution that "supports the recognition and right of Israel and Palestine to exist as two states within secure and recognized borders" and "calls on the next Labor government to recognize Palestine as a state".

“We would have thought that in a time of burgeoning anti-Semitism across social media and in our communities around the world, that the Australian Labor Party would have been convening a special session to endorse the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism and its demands for hatred in all its forms. It is true that support for a two-state solution is waning but the main culprits are the leaders of the PA and terrorist movements including Hamas and Islamic Jihad who in word and deed target civilians for murder and mayhem and who are killing the hopes of peace one bullet at a time. If parties and democratic nations want to contribute peace, they should tackle terrorism first,” stated SWC Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action Agenda, Rabbi Abraham Cooper.

For further information, please email Michele Alkin, Director of Global Communications at malkin@wiesenthal.com or Shawn Rodgers at srodgers@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).