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New Zealand’s government said it would not recognise a Palestinian state for now, an unexpected move that puts it out of step with traditional partners such as Australia, the UK and Canada. “With a war raging, Hamas remaining the de facto government of Gaza, and no clarity on next steps, too many questions remain about the future State of Palestine for it to be prudent for New Zealand to announce recognition at this time,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday. “We are also concerned that a focus on recognition, in the current circumstances, could complicate efforts to secure a ceasefire by pushing Israel and Hamas into even more intransigent positions.” Still, New Zealand’s position remained “that it is a matter of when, not if we recognise the State of Palestine”, he said. New Zealand’s surprise decision puts it at odds with a growing chorus of Western nations who formally recognised a Palestinian state in the lead-up to the UN meeting. The move aligned them with more than 140 other countries also backing Palestinians’ aspiration to forge an independent homeland from the occupied territories. Peters spoke just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed those countries, saying the message it sent to Hamas was that “murdering Jews pays off”. France became the latest major nation to recognise the State of Palestine on Monday, following the UK, Canada and Australia. Peters said New Zealand would maintain its current position of supporting a two-state solution and Palestinian self-determination. “We will recognise a Palestinian state when the time is right,” he said. “What we are looking for now are real actions towards the full viability and legitimacy of the State of Palestine, rather than rhetoric in that direction.” New Zealand’s main opposition Labour Party said the government’s refusal to recognise Palestine as a state was “an embarrassment” that “puts our country on the wrong side of history”. Labour foreign affairs spokesman Peeni Henare said New Zealanders would feel let down by the government today. “There is no two-state solution or enduring peace in the Middle East without recognition of Palestine as a state,” he said. Additional reporting by Reuters
