The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia announced Sunday they are formally recognizing a Palestinian state, a coordinated diplomatic step meant to revive hopes for a two-state solution but one that drew sharp rebukes from Israeli leaders and signaled potential escalation in the West Bank.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the decision comes "in the face of the growing horror in the Middle East" and is intended "to keep alive the possibility of peace and of a two-state solution." He added, "We 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. A pledge to the Palestinian and Israeli people that there can be a better future."
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called the move "historic," saying it "reflects our unwavering commitment to a two-state solution and affirms the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination." Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney offered "partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel," while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong stressed that Hamas "must have no role in Palestine."
The announcement comes days before the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where Palestinian sovereignty is expected to dominate discussions. France and Saudi Arabia are scheduled to co-host a summit on advancing a two-state framework on Monday.
Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin called the recognition "a message of hope to the Palestinian people, a message of hope for a free, independent, sovereign state," and said it underscored that "Israel has no sovereignty on the territories of our state." Layla Moran, the first MP of Palestinian descent in the UK, told Al Jazeera that "a decades-long injustice has now been rectified," but warned, "It is important that this translates now into changes on the ground."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the move, calling it "a prize" for Hamas. "It will not happen. A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River," he said, vowing to announce Israel's response after returning from a trip to the United States, where he is expected to meet President Donald Trump.
Far-right members of Israel's governing coalition urged Netanyahu to respond by annexing the West Bank. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he will submit a proposal at the next cabinet meeting for "the immediate application of Israeli sovereignty," while Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf of the Otzma Yehudit party declared, "there is no Palestinian people and no Palestinian state."
