”In order to restore hope for peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, the United Kingdom formally recognizes Palestine as a state today”, writes the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a post on X.
The recognition means a major turnaround in British foreign policy. The previous government's stance was that recognition would take place in connection with a peace process and at a time when it would have the maximum effect.
”Legitimate and long-term striving”
Just before the British announcement, recognitions also came from Ottawa and Canberra.
”Canada recognizes the state of Palestine and offers to be a partner in building a promise regarding a peaceful future for both the state of Palestine and the state of Israel", says the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a statement.
”With this, Australia recognizes the legitimate and long-term striving among the Palestinians to have a state of their own”, it says in the statement from the country's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He also emphasizes that ”the terrorist organization Hamas will not be allowed to have any role in Palestine”.
The decisions are welcomed by the Palestinians' president Mahmud Abbas, who describes it as a step towards a ”lasting peace”. Hamas describes it, on the other hand, as ”a victory for Palestinian rights”, writes AFP. However, all three countries have clarified that they do not see the terrorist-stamped movement as a legitimate actor in a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu: ”Will not happen”
From Benjamin Netanyahu's side, it sounds different. The Israeli Prime Minister repeats in a statement his claim that the recognitions are an ”enormous reward for terror”, and continues:
”I have another message for you: It will not happen. No Palestinian state will be established west of the Jordan River”.
He also says that Israel will now expand its settlements on the occupied West Bank further, which is in line with what his far-right government colleagues, ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, threatened with shortly after the countries announced their decisions.
Next week, the UN General Assembly will be held, when about a dozen other countries are expected to recognize Palestine as an independent state. As recently as on Saturday, Portugal announced that they will do the same.
