{"id":245343,"date":"2025-09-22T02:59:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T02:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/245343\/"},"modified":"2025-09-22T02:59:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T02:59:10","slug":"uk-australia-and-canada-recognize-a-palestinian-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/245343\/","title":{"rendered":"UK, Australia and Canada recognize a Palestinian state"},"content":{"rendered":"

LONDON (AP) \u2014 The U.K., Australia and Canada<\/a> formally recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday, prompting an angry response from Israel, which ruled out the prospect. <\/p>\n

The coordinated initiative from the three Commonwealth nations and longtime allies reflects growing outrage at Israel\u2019s conduct of the war in Gaza<\/a> and the steps taken by the Israeli government to thwart efforts to create a Palestinian state, including by the continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank<\/a>.<\/p>\n

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the U.K. is formally recognizing a Palestinian state despite vociferous opposition from the U.S. and Israel. In a statement Sunday, Starmer said the move is part of a process to bring about an end to the conflict in Gaza and help promote a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.<\/p>\n

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has faced pressure to take a harder line on Israel within his own governing Labour Party over the deteriorating situation in Gaza, said the U.K.\u2019s move is intended \u201cto revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis.\u201d He insisted it wasn\u2019t a reward for Hamas, which was behind the attack on Oct. 7, 2023, in which the militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted 251 others. <\/p>\n

\u201cToday, to revive the hope of peace and a two-state solution, I state clearly as prime minister of this great country that the United Kingdom formally recognizes the state of Palestine,\u201d Starmer said in a video message. \u201cWe recognized the state of Israel more than 75 years ago as a homeland for the Jewish people. Today we join over 150 countries who recognize a Palestinian state also.\u201d<\/p>\n

The moves by the three countries prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> to say that the establishment of a Palestinian state \u201cwill not happen\u201d while Hamas urged the international community to isolate Israel. <\/p>\n

Later on Sunday, Portugal said it was recognizing a Palestinian state as well. <\/p>\n

Announcement came as no surprise<\/p>\n

The British announcement was widely anticipated after Starmer said in July that the U.K. would recognize a Palestinian state<\/a> unless Israel agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza<\/a>, allowed the United Nations to bring in aid and took other steps toward long-term peace.<\/p>\n

More countries are expected to join the list recognizing a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly this week, including France<\/a>, which, like the U.K., is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council. <\/p>\n

Palestinian and Israeli reactions<\/p>\n

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the three countries for proffering a \u201cprize\u201d to Hamas.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will not happen,\u201d he said. \u201cA Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River.\u201d<\/p>\n

Netanyahu, who is set to give a speech to the General Assembly on Friday before heading to see U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, said he would announce Israel\u2019s response after the trip.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu has threatened to take unilateral steps, including the possibility of annexing parts of the West Bank, in response to world leaders\u2019 recognition of a Palestinian state. Such a move would clear the way for Israel to deepen its control over the territory — and escalate tensions with the international community.<\/p>\n

Hamas hailed the decision, calling it a \u201crightful outcome of our people\u2019s struggle, steadfastness, and sacrifices on the path to liberation and return.\u201d The Islamic militant group, which is sworn to Israel\u2019s destruction, called on the world to isolate Israel.<\/p>\n

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority exercises limited autonomy in towns and cities in the West Bank<\/a>, said the U.K. announcement is an important step toward achieving a \u201cjust and lasting peace in the region based on the two-state solution,\u201d the official Palestinian news agency Wafa said.<\/p>\n

Historical overlay<\/p>\n

The U.K. and France have had a historic role in the politics of the Middle East over the past 100 years, having carved up the region following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I.<\/p>\n

As part of that carve-up, the U.K. became the governing power of what was then Palestine. It was also the author of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which backed the establishment of a \u201cnational home for the Jewish people.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the second part of the declaration has been largely neglected over the decades. It noted \u201cthat nothing shall be done, nothing which may prejudice the civil and religious rights\u201d of the Palestinian people. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s significant for France and the U.K. to recognize Palestine because of the legacy of these two countries\u2019 involvement in the Middle East,\u201d said Burcu Ozcelik, senior research fellow for Middle East Security at London-based Royal United Services Institute. \u201cBut without the United States coming on board with the idea of a Palestine, I think very little will change on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian head of mission in the U.K., told the BBC that recognition would right a colonial-era wrong. \u201cThe issue today is ending the denial of our existence that started 108 years ago, in 1917,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I think today, the British people should celebrate a day when history is being corrected.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diplomatic shift<\/p>\n

The U.K. has for decades supported an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, but insisted recognition must come as part of a peace plan to achieve a two-state solution.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Displaced<\/p>\n

Displaced Palestinians flee northern Gaza Strip, by foot and in vehicles, carrying their belongings along the coastal road, near Wadi Gaza, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (AP Photo\/Abdel Kareem Hana)<\/p>\n

Displaced Palestinians flee northern Gaza Strip, by foot and in vehicles, carrying their belongings along the coastal road, near Wadi Gaza, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (AP Photo\/Abdel Kareem Hana)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

However, the government has become increasingly worried that such a solution is becoming all but impossible. During the past two years, Israel\u2019s assault on Gaza has displaced most of its population<\/a>, killed more than 65,000 people<\/a>, and caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, including a famine in Gaza City. <\/p>\n

Last week, independent experts commissioned by the U.N.\u2019s Human Rights Council concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza<\/a>, a charge that Israel rejected as \u201cdistorted and false.\u201d <\/p>\n

Also vexing for the U.K. is that Israel\u2019s government has been aggressively expanding settlements in the West Bank<\/a>, land that Palestinians want for their future state. Much of the world regards Israel\u2019s occupation of the West Bank, which is ostensibly run by the Palestinian Authority, as illegal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis move has symbolic and historic weight, makes clear the U.K.\u2019s concerns about the survival of a two-state solution, and is intended to keep that goal relevant and alive,\u201d said Olivia O\u2019Sullivan, Director of the U.K. in the World Programme at the London-based think tank, Chatham House. <\/p>\n

The creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel is seen internationally<\/a> as the only realistic way to resolve the conflict for the long-term.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LONDON (AP) \u2014 The U.K., Australia and Canada formally recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday, prompting an angry…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":245344,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[97,3881,4740,46249,372,2147,18810,69,57,4527,67647,99,3462,373,17723,59767,3463,50,130463,9598,80,365,376,4338,36679,89512,96,93,103,107],"class_list":{"0":"post-245343","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-2024-2025-mideast-wars","9":"tag-ap-top-news","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-australia-government","12":"tag-benjamin-netanyahu","13":"tag-canada","14":"tag-canada-government","15":"tag-donald-trump","16":"tag-general-news","17":"tag-hamas","18":"tag-husam-zomlot","19":"tag-israel","20":"tag-israel-government","21":"tag-israel-hamas-war","22":"tag-keir-starmer","23":"tag-mahmoud-abbas","24":"tag-mideast-wars","25":"tag-news","26":"tag-olivia-osullivan","27":"tag-palestinian-territories-government","28":"tag-politics","29":"tag-religion","30":"tag-united-kingdom","31":"tag-united-kingdom-government","32":"tag-united-nations-general-assembly","33":"tag-united-nations-security-council","34":"tag-war-and-unrest","35":"tag-washington-news","36":"tag-world","37":"tag-world-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/245344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}