Rubio [R] further hit out at US allies, specifically the UK’s rationale, which he said was “clumsy”, as disincentivising Hamas to accept a ceasefire [Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images]
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has dismissed recent moves by key allies to recognise a Palestinian state as “irrelevant”, asserting that no such state can exist without Israel’s permission, in a statement critics say exposes Washington’s continued subservience to Israeli interests at the expense of international law and Palestinian rights.
“There can be no Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to it,” Rubio told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade Show on Thursday, in response to recent pledges by the UK, France, Canada, and others to support Palestinian statehood in September if Israel fails to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.
Rubio claimed recognition efforts were misguided, saying: “None of these countries have the ability to create a Palestinian State; there can be no Palestinian State unless Israel agrees to it.”
Observers say Rubio’s remarks reflect long-standing US policy that effectively grants Israel veto power over Palestinian sovereignty, despite a decades-old international consensus supporting Palestinian statehood based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital.
His dismissal comes as Israel continues its military campaign in Gaza and entrenches its occupation of the West Bank. Just last week, Israel’s parliament endorsed a resolution opposing any future Palestinian state, a move that further distances Tel Aviv from the two-state solution framework once endorsed by the Oslo Accords.
Rubio also took aim at Washington’s allies, including the UK, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer of using a “clumsy” rationale that, according to Rubio, would reward Hamas and undermine prospects for a ceasefire, an argument many say mirrors Israeli talking points.
“At the end of the day, the Hamas side is the Palestinian statehood side. So you are creating this reward,” Rubio claimed, conflating the group with the broader Palestinian people and their internationally recognised representatives.
The UK has denied that its position amounts to rewarding Hamas. Starmer said London would recognise a Palestinian state in September if no ceasefire or political progress occurs. France, Portugal and Canada have echoed this stance, while Australia and Germany have remained cautious.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot defended the move as “backing the side of peace against the side of war”, and confirmed Paris was working with Saudi Arabia on a new two-state solution initiative to be presented at the UN General Assembly.
