This paper calls on the Australian Government to support the rights of Palestinians to self-determination and statehood. Its authors recommend the nation increase humanitarian aid and avoid supporting or contributing to the pursuit of a two-state solution. 

The authors observe that external actors have limited influence on the conflict, and that the cycle of violence is likely to continue without a fundamental shift in approach. Above all, in responding to the situation in Gaza as well as wider Middle East conflicts, the authors call for Australia to maintain consistency between the democratic values upheld domestically and those defended and otherwise supported abroad.

Recommendations for the Australian government

• Continue to press for a sustained ceasefire in Gaza.
• Contribute substantially to humanitarian relief and increase direct aid.
• Affirm support for the observation of international law, including the findings of the International Court of Justice.
• Refrain from becoming entangled in the two-state paradigm as a basis for Australian action when no possibility of such a solution seems likely.
• Avoid being drawn into interim peacekeeping arrangements.
• Consider ways of building support for the creation of a supra-national forum, across the entire Middle East, along the lines of the processes that led eventually to the formation of the European Union.