Summarised by Centrist
Australia, Canada, Britain, and Portugal are set to use the UN General Assembly to recognise a Palestinian state.
New Zealand, meanwhile, is holding back, with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon saying Cabinet has yet to sign off on a final position.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters flew to New York to attend the UN meeting, but Luxon said the delay was not unusual. “It’s not a race … it’s not whether you are pro-Palestine or pro-Israel, it’s actually about being pro-people,” he told Newstalk ZB.
The coalition’s differences have been on display. ACT leader David Seymour said last week he would not recognise “a state that’s currently weaponising hostages … holding people for years on end in absolutely inhumane conditions.”
Peters quickly shot back, insisting Seymour had “no authority” to speak for the government. “That’s not the government’s position. The government’s position is articulated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs,” he said.
Luxon maintained the government will reveal its decision at the UN, alongside Peters. Three of the Five Eyes nations, Australia, Canada, and the UK, have already recognised Palestine, leaving New Zealand and the US yet to act.
