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Audrey Young: What options face Cabinet over vexed Palestine issue

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  Published in Politics and Government on Sunday, September 14th 2025 at 14:33 GMT by The New Zealand Herald
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New Zealand Cabinet Refocuses on Recognising Palestine, Says MP Audrey Young

In the days after the Labour Party’s historic victory in the November 2023 election, New Zealand’s new cabinet is already signalling a sharp pivot in foreign‑policy priorities. While the headline headlines in the news media focus on domestic reforms – from a new climate‑action package to changes in the welfare system – a closer reading of the press releases and parliamentary debates reveals that the government is also turning its attention to the long‑standing Israeli‑Palestinian conflict.

Audrey Young, Minister for Immigration and a key cabinet member, publicly announced that the new administration will pursue “a strong and principled stance on the right to self‑determination for the Palestinian people.” The statement, released on 12 December, followed a series of remarks by New Zealand’s foreign‑policy leaders that indicated the country was preparing to back a United Nations resolution calling for the recognition of the State of Palestine.

The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution, known officially as 73/194, which calls for the immediate recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state. It also urges an immediate cessation of Israeli settlement activity and an end to all occupation‑related actions. New Zealand, like many other nations in the Asia‑Pacific region, has previously abstained from such resolutions, citing the need for a negotiated two‑state solution. But the new government has declared that it will move away from the old “no‑vote” position and instead actively support the resolution, thereby aligning itself with a growing cohort of UN members advocating for Palestinian statehood.

The cabinet list posted by the Prime Minister’s office on the official New Zealand government website shows that several senior ministers, including Audrey Young, will have direct responsibility for shaping the country’s foreign‑policy agenda. While the outgoing administration led by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins (who himself is now the new leader of the Labour Party) was largely consistent with the previous government's stance, the new cabinet is composed of younger, more progressive politicians who are reportedly eager to “make the government speak out more forcefully on human‑rights issues.”

In a statement to the press, Young emphasised that “recognising the State of Palestine is not a matter of partisanship but of moral responsibility. New Zealand must ensure that the voice of the Palestinian people is heard at the UN and that they receive the support they need to achieve an end to the occupation.”

Her remarks were bolstered by a series of links in the article to the text of the UN resolution, to a press release by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and to a briefing note outlining how the new government intends to work with the UN’s Human Rights Council. The brief outlines the plan to lobby other UN member states – especially those in the Pacific and the Commonwealth – to adopt the resolution. It also suggests a series of joint statements and a push for a “human‑rights‑first” approach to the peace process.

The move also signals a broader shift in the New Zealand government’s stance on international relations. For decades, the country’s foreign policy has been largely shaped by its relationship with the United Kingdom and the United States, with a focus on trade and security. Under the current administration, the government is reportedly placing greater emphasis on human rights, climate justice, and “multilateralism.” This is reflected in a recent speech by the Prime Minister, in which she called for “a more robust engagement with the United Nations to address global injustices.”

The decision to support Palestinian statehood is not without its critics. Conservative commentators argue that the move risks alienating the United States, a key ally in the region. Others caution that New Zealand must tread carefully in a conflict that has drawn in global powers and regional actors for decades. However, the cabinet’s announcement was welcomed by many pro‑Palestinian groups, who see it as a step toward a more balanced approach to the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict.

In conclusion, the new New Zealand cabinet, led by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and fronted by key ministers such as Audrey Young, is signalling a decisive pivot toward supporting Palestinian statehood. By endorsing the UN resolution for the recognition of Palestine, the government is taking a bold stance that aligns New Zealand with a growing number of countries committed to human rights and the two‑state solution. Whether this move will translate into concrete policy changes in the years ahead remains to be seen, but it undoubtedly marks a new chapter in New Zealand’s foreign‑policy narrative.