Britain, Canada and Australia recognize Palestinian state
OTTAWA
Britain, Canada and Australia announced Sept. 21 that they now officially recognize the State of Palestine, marking a significant diplomatic shift and piling pressure on Israel as global calls for a two-state solution gather pace.
Canada became the first G7 country to take the step. “Canada recognizes the State of Palestine and offers partnership in building a peaceful future for both Palestine and Israel,” Prime Minister Mark Carney declared on social media.
Soon after, Australia confirmed its recognition, followed by Britain, which issued an official statement formalizing the move.
"Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a message on X.
The three countries became the first members of the Group of Seven advanced economies to take the step, with France and other nations expected to follow at the annual UN General Assembly which opens Monday in New York.
"Canada recognizes the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on X.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Canberra's move "recognises the legitimate and long held aspirations of the people of Palestine to a state of their own".
The wave of recognition came after Portugal said on Saturday it would acknowledge Palestinian statehood, with France expected to follow on Sept. 22. President Emmanuel Macron is due to announce France’s decision in New York on the eve of the U.N. General Assembly, alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who will address the event via video link.
The initiative forms part of a joint Franco-Saudi push launched in July through the “New York Declaration,” which called for urgent steps to implement a two-state solution and increase international pressure on Israel.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Sept. 21 that Britain, Canada and Australia's recognition of a Palestinian state was a necessary step toward lasting peace in the region.
Welcoming the move by the three countries, Abbas said "it constitutes an important and necessary step toward achieving a just and lasting peace in accordance with international legitimacy," according to a statement by his office.
Abbas also called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
"He emphasised that today's priorities are achieving a ceasefire, allowing humanitarian aid to enter, securing the release of all hostages and prisoners, ensuring Israel's complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, enabling the State of Palestine to assume full responsibilities, advancing recovery and reconstruction, and halting settlement activity and settler violence," the statement added.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the move as "absurd" and said it would "endanger" Israel's existence.
"I have a clear message for those leaders who recognise a Palestinian state after the horrific massacre on October 7: you are granting a huge reward to terror," he said. "And I have another message for you: it will not happen. No Palestinian state will be established west of the Jordan River."
A growing number of longtime Israeli allies have shifted their long-held positions as Israel has intensified its Gaza offensive, which began almost two years ago with Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
The Gaza Strip has suffered vast destruction, with a growing international outcry over the besieged coastal territory's spiralling death toll.
