Despite strong opposition from the United States and Israel, the governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia symbolically recognized a Palestinian state alongside dozens of other nations.
On Sunday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed the widely anticipated announcement, stating that the move is intended “to revive hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis.”
“Let’s be candid. Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization. “Our call for a true two-state solution is diametrically opposed to their hateful vision,” Starmer said Sunday. “So we are clear, this solution is not a reward for Hamas, because it means Hamas can have no future, no role in government, no role in security.”
It marks a watershed moment for Palestinians and their decades-long quest for statehood.
“Canada recognizes the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on social media.
Anthony Albanese, Australia’s prime minister, said in a statement that the announcement, along with those from the United Kingdom and Canada, are part of a “coordinated international effort to build momentum for a two-state solution.”
“Today’s act of recognition reflects Australia’s longstanding commitment to a two-state solution, which has always been the only path to enduring peace and security for the Israeli and Palestinian people,” Albanese told reporters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded angrily on Sunday, claiming that the establishment of a Palestinian state “will not happen.”
He accused Britain and other Western allies of providing a “reward” to Hamas.
“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 warned. “And I’ve got another message for you: it will not happen. “No Palestinian state will be established west of the Jordan River.”
The prime minister stated that Israel’s response to Sunday’s announcements would be announced following a trip to the United States next week, during which he will meet with President Trump at the White House.
Mr. Trump expressed his displeasure with the United Kingdom’s recognition of a Palestinian state during a state visit to the country last week.
“I have a disagreement with the prime minister on that score,” the president said.
Though the move is largely symbolic, it is a historic moment because the United Kingdom arguably laid the groundwork for the establishment of the Israeli state while it controlled what was then known as Palestine in 1917.
More than 140 countries have already taken that step, with more expected to do so this week at the United Nations General Assembly, including France.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that France’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state is necessary to combat Hamas.
“The objective of Hamas is absolutely not to create a Palestinian state,” according to him. “The goal of Hamas is to destroy Israel and persuade as many people as possible that they have no chance of achieving peace and stability, particularly a Palestinian state. And to kill as many Israelis as possible. And this is why, if we want to end the war and isolate Hamas, the recognition process and the peace plan that comes with it are required.”
Critics, including the United States and the Israeli government, which has shown no interest in a two-state solution, have condemned the plans, claiming they reward Hamas for its attack on October 7, 2023. Critics argue that recognition is not only immoral, but also an empty gesture, given that the Palestinian people are divided into two territories, the West Bank and Gaza, with no recognized international capital.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists attacked southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people, the majority of whom were civilians, and abducting 251 others. Forty-eight hostages remain in Gaza, with many having been released as a result of ceasefires and other agreements. Israel believes about 20 hostages are still alive, but the bodies of two were discovered during a joint operation in late August.
Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian head of mission in the United Kingdom, told CBS News partner the BBC that recognition would right a colonial wrong.
“The issue today is ending the denial of our existence that started 108 years ago, in 1917,” he told reporters. “And I think today, the British people should celebrate a day when history is being corrected, when wrongs are being righted, when recognition of the wrongs of the past are beginning to be corrected.”
