On Sunday, Britain, Australia, and Canada “recognised a Palestinian state,” a move that marks a “seismic shift” in Western foreign policy and has triggered “swift Israeli anger.”
Portugal was also expected to formally recognize Palestine later that day.
This decision comes as Israel faces “huge international pressure over the war in Gaza,” which was started by the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer made the announcement on X, stating, “Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine.”
Britain and Canada are the first G7 countries to take this step.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also wrote on X, “Canada recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel.”
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “reacted angrily,” saying that calls for a Palestinian state “would endanger our existence and serve as an absurd reward for terrorism.”
A growing number of Israel’s longtime allies have shifted their positions due to the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, which has suffered “vast destruction, a spiralling death toll, and a lack of food.”
The UK government has been under increasing public pressure to act, with a poll showing that “two-thirds of young Britons aged 18 to 25 supported Palestinian statehood.”
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy told the BBC on Sunday that while the move wouldn’t solve immediate problems, he believed it was an attempt to “hold out for” a two-state solution.
He said, “Will this feed children? No, it won’t, that’s down to humanitarian aid. Will this free hostages? That must be down to a ceasefire.”
The Palestinian foreign minister, Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, said the recognition “is not symbolic,” adding, “It sends a very clear message to the Israelis on their illusions about continuing their occupation forever.”
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said his country’s decision to act now was a way of “keeping alive the possibility of having two states.”
Over three-quarters of UN members already recognize Palestine.
Join Informant Online WhatsApp Channel With Link Below: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaihFajBadmT29ufud2
To Publish Articles, News, Place Advert, Contact Informant Online With Email Link Below: informantonline.com.ng@gmail.com
