In short:
The NSW Labor conference has passed a motion urging the government to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state and make it a priority.
The member for Bankstown, Jihad Dib, introduced the motion, saying the war must end.
Alex Ryvchin from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry called the vote tokenistic.
NSW Labor has voted to urge the Australian government to quickly recognise Palestinian statehood, as the party faces growing frustration in Western Sydney electorates over the government's response to the Gaza conflict.
A motion carried at the party's state conference in Sydney on Saturday called on the federal government to "recognise Palestine as a sovereign and independent state and as a priority".
The language brings the NSW branch's position largely into line with that reached last year at the party's national conference, which called for recognition of Palestinian statehood and declared the issue an "important priority".
NSW cabinet minister Jihad Dib, who represents the Western Sydney seat of Bankstown, introduced the motion late on Saturday afternoon.
He received a standing ovation after delivering an impassioned speech to hundreds of party faithful inside Sydney Town Hall.
"Enough is enough. This war must end," Mr Dib said.
He said the motion went to the "core Labor values" of "justice, human dignity, and solidarity".
"We are the party of people like Tony Burke, of Ed Husic, and of Jason Clare, who have always been advocates of a Palestinian state," he said.
The three federal MPs all hold safe Labor seats in Western Sydney and will face re-election next year.
More than 14 per cent of people in Mr Burke's seat of Watson, and 15 per cent of people in Mr Clare's seat of Blaxland, reported having Lebanese ancestry in the most recent census.
Palestinian supporters 'profoundly frustrated'
Support for Palestinians was on display both inside and outside the annual state Labor conference, with a flag being unfurled during Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's speech earlier in the day.
A large crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters also gathered at Town Hall, with some activists heckling delegates as they exited the conference.
Parramatta delegate Louisa Romanous, who represented the group Labor Friends of Palestine, spoke in support of the motion.
"I speak today for many thousands of Labor members, supporters and voters across Western Sydney," Ms Romanous said.
"Today I stand here profoundly frustrated and disappointed."
Ms Romanous said she used to advocate for people to join the Labor Party, but had stopped getting positive responses because of the federal government's stance on the war.
"Last time I asked someone to join, they laughed at me. My friends refuse to march with me because I march under a Labor banner," she said.
Australia has long supported a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, but does not yet recognise Palestine as its own state.
In April, Foreign Minister Penny Wong suggested the federal government was thinking about recognising Palestinian statehood, saying international recognition could help "build momentum towards a two-state solution".
On Thursday, Australia sanctioned seven Israeli settlers and one organisation for violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
The sanctions came after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories breached international law, a finding Israel has rejected as one-sided.
As well as advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza, Australia has supported United Nations resolutions backing a two-state solution and the Palestinians' observer status in the intergovernmental organisation.
NSW Labor vote 'token symbolism'
Alex Ryvchin, the co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, described the state party's vote as "token symbolism".
"I think voters will punish Labor if they pursue these sorts of policies due to pressure from the far left and the Greens and the fear of losing votes to them in the key seats," Mr Ryvchin said.
"I think this is state Labor perhaps reflecting the mood of the rank and file and a lot of its members in state parliament."
He said recognition of Palestinian statehood was not sensible policy.
"The real issues are there are no democratic institutions within Palestinian society," he said.
"The majority of Palestinians do not support living in peace alongside Israel, and Hamas is ruled by a vicious jihadist terrorist organisation."
Gaza's Health Ministry says more than 39,100 Palestinians had been killed since the October 7 Hamas terror attack, which killed 1,139 Israelis, according to Israeli officials.
In his address to the conference, Mr Dib said there should be no competition about which side of the conflict is suffering the most.
"Everyone is hurting," he said.
