That leaves two weeks until the UN General Assembly convenes on September 9, where it is expected several key allies will change position and recognise Palestinian statehood. In particular, the government could make a more straightforward statement on Palestinian statehood than its close allies. Beyond traditional alliesLegally, the proposed recognitions of statehood are far from ideal because they place conditions on that recognition, including how a Palestinian state should be governed. Importantly, Ireland acknowledged Palestinian “peaceful self-determination” (along with Israel’s), but did not express any other conditions or caveats. New Zealand could also show leadership by joining with that wider group of allies to shape the coming General Assembly debate.