The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia have officially recognized Palestine as a state. The countries separately recognized Palestine on Sunday, bringing the total number of countries to recognize Palestine out of the 193 members of the United Nations.
The recognition of the Palestinian state by these powerful countries is quite significant in the midst of the almost two-year-long Israeli massacre in Gaza. The Palestinian Authority has welcomed this recognition. As usual, Israel has strongly condemned it.
In a video message posted on social media yesterday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer recognized Palestine as a state. At the beginning of his speech, Starmer said, “In the face of growing horrors in the Middle East, we are working to keep the prospect of peace and the two-state solution alive. This means a safe and secure state of Israel as well as a viable Palestinian state, neither of which we have at the moment.”
The UK Prime Minister then said, “Now is the time to recognise the state of Palestine. Today, as Prime Minister of this great country, I am making a clear statement in the hope of reviving peace and a two-state solution. The UK is officially recognizing Palestine.
The UK announced its recognition of Palestine last July. At the time, the Starmer administration said, If Israel does not agree to meet the terms of the ceasefire in Gaza and does not agree to a long-term, sustainable peace based on a two-state solution, the UK government will change its position and recognise Palestine as a state.
Later, France, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Norway, and Luxembourg also announced their recognition of Palestine as a state. Israel has not taken the Western recognition of Palestine well, saying that recognizing Palestine would “reward terrorism.”
Canada’s recognition was first reported in the international media yesterday, making it the first G-7 country to recognize Palestine. “Canada is recognizing the state of Palestine. Through this, we offer our partnership in the commitment to building a peaceful future for both Palestine and Israel,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a post on Facebook.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia is formally recognizing the independent and sovereign state of Palestine. In doing so, Australia acknowledges the long-standing legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for statehood. This recognition reflects Australia’s long-standing commitment to a two-state solution, which is the only path to lasting peace and security for both Israel and Palestine.
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