A spokesperson for Penny Wong said Australia was seeking to affirm support for a two-state solution.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Australia had previously voted no on the issue since 2003,according to the Australia/Israel&Jewish Affairs Council.
Seven nations – including the United States,Israel and Canada – voted no while 11 abstained.
Australia also supported a resolution blaming Israel for a historic oil slick that affected Lebanon during the countries’ 2006 war.
US political adviser to the UN Nicholas Koval said the US “remains disappointed that this body has again taken up this unbalanced resolution that is unfairly critical of Israel,demonstrating a clear and persistent institutional bias directed against one member state”.
“One-sided resolutions will not help advance peace,” Koval said. “Not when they ignore the facts on the ground.”
A vote on the resolutions will now go to the UN General Assembly.