As pressure mounts on the Australian Government over Palestine, a group of highly respected Australians, who have represented our nation overseas, have gone straight to the top with a letter to the prime minister.

4 August 2025

Dear Prime Minister

We are Australians who have represented our nation in many countries. We would find it difficult to do so now.

We are distressed that Australia has done so little to prevent the progressive erosion of international law, the persistent armed assaults on Palestinian people, and the violation of their human rights in Gaza and the West Bank.

We acknowledge your statements, together with other leaders, about the need for cautious consideration of recognition of a Palestinian state, and about the need for a two-state solution. Your approach is supported by a growing number of Australians, of Jewish, Palestinian, and other backgrounds.

This process, while welcome, is far too slow. It is taking more time than the famine-affected people of Gaza and the displaced Palestinians of the West Bank have, if they are to survive. Time is of the essence for them.

It is urgently imperative that Australia join 147 other countries in recognising a Palestinian state. To call repeatedly for a two-state solution makes no sense when only one state exists, and that heavily-armed state, Israel, is engaged in apartheid, war crimes, and potential genocide of almost totally defenceless people.

We urge you to announce in the coming days that Australia will:

• Support the creation and recognition of a Palestinian state;
• Demand Israeli demilitarisation of Gaza and the West Bank;
• Support a process under United Nations auspices to reform and democratise the Palestinian Authority;
• Advocate holding elections in which Palestinians can decide if they want two states or one in which they have equal rights with Israelis; Call on Hamas to release remaining Israeli hostages and on Israel to release Palestinian prisoners, including those held without charge, from its gaols;
• Immediately end Australian exports of weapons and weapons components to Israel, in compliance with determinations of the International Courts; and
• Urge the United States to cease providing military weapons and intelligence to Israel until IDF attacks on Palestinian territories end.

If Israel continues to deny through its ambassador that war crimes are occurring in Gaza, we recommend that he be expelled and Australia’s ambassador be withdrawn from Tel Aviv.

We look forward to seeing these proposals reflected in your early announcement of Australia’s decisions. We offer you our support in implementing them.

Yours sincerely

• Graham Alliband OAM, former Ambassador
• Geoff Bentley, former Ambassador
• Dr Alison Broinowski AM, former diplomat
• Richard Broinowski AO, former Ambassador
• Dr Jocelyn Chey AM, former Consul-General
• Andrew Farran, former diplomat and international lawyer
• Professor Stephen FitzGerald AO, former Ambassador
• Anthony Kevin, former Ambassador
• John Lander, former Ambassador
• Ian Lincoln, former Ambassador
• John Menadue AO, former Ambassador
• Charles Mott, former Ambassador
• Peter Rodgers, former Ambassador
• Dr Jeremy Webb, former diplomat
• Mack Williams, former Ambassador
• Garry Woodard, former Ambassador

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.