UK, Canada, Australia Recognize Palestinian State

The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia officially recognized Palestine as a UN member state Sunday— becoming the first major Western powers to do so despite furious objections from both the US and Israel.

The decision, which comes ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan later this month, is part of a rebuke of Israel by the nations over the Jewish state’s war in Gaza.

The move was immediately met with rage from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I have a clear message to those leaders who recognize a Palestinian state after the terrible massacre of October 7: You are giving a huge reward to terrorism,” he said in a televised statement after a cabinet meeting.

“It will not happen. There will not be a Palestinian state west of the Jordan,’’ he vowed.

The PM and other Israeli politicians have said the move only emboldens the Palestinian terror group Hamas, and they have even threatened annexing the West Bank in response.

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir joined Netanyahu in slamming the decision as the West capitulating to Hamas despite the terrorists’ actions on Oct. 7, 2023.

“The recognition by the UK, Canada, and Australia of a ‘Palestinian’ state, as a prize for the murderous Nukhba terrorists, requires immediate countermeasures,” Gvir said as he reiterated demands for Israel’s full annexation of the West Bank.

Netanyahu has said he would fight against the recognition of Palestine with the international body, with the premier set to coordinate with President Trump in slamming it at the UN assembly.

Palestine is already officially recognized as a state by more than half of the UN’s nearly 200 members but only has “observer” status and cannot vote.

Trump has long rejected the idea of formally recognizing a Palestinian state, with his administration warning that Israel would retaliate with the annexation of the West Bank.

“Recognition of a ‘State of Palestine’ is empty virtue signaling that only rewards the Hamas butchers and rapists,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-Fla.) said in a statement.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group that represents the Israeli captives still held by Hamas and their relatives, also condemned the statehood recognition as a victory for the terrorists.

“Offering such significant political rewards without securing the return of all 48 of our loved ones represents a catastrophic failure of political, moral, and diplomatic leadership that will severely damage efforts to bring them all home,” the group said in a statement.

But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the move as a means to end the war in Gaza, which is approaching its third year and has left nearly the entire Palestinian enclave in ruins.

“Today, to revive the hope of peace and a two-state solution, I state clearly as the prime minister of this great country that the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine,” he wrote on X.

Starmer claimed that the recognition should not be viewed as an endorsement of Hamas, slamming the militants as “a brutal terror organization.

“Our call for a genuine two-state solution is the exact opposite of their hateful vision,” he insisted.

“Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed Starmer’s statement, writing, “Australia’s recognition of Palestine today, alongside Canada and the United Kingdom, is part of a coordinated international effort to build new momentum for a two-state solution, starting with a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages taken in the atrocities of October 7, 2023.”

Canadian PM Mark Carney wrote on X. “Today, Canada recognizes the State of Palestine.”

He added in a statement released by his office, “Since 1947, it has been the policy of every Canadian government to support a two-state solution for lasting peace in the Middle East.

“This envisioned the creation of a sovereign, democratic, and viable State of Palestine building its future in peace and security alongside the State of Israel.”

The Trump administration has warned that Canada’s recognition of a Palestinian state will only further muddy its trade conflict with the US.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the news, stressing that it was necessary to bring stability to the region.

Earlier this year, a new wave of countries announced their intention to recognize the state of Palestine, many of them timing the move to the United Nations General Assembly.

The list includes France, Belgium, Portugal, Luxembourg, Malta and San Marino.

While Belgium has made its recognition conditional on certain requirements and San Marino has outlined a gradual process, the others are preparing to formalize recognition in New York alongside the UN gathering.

More than 145 UN member states already recognize Palestine prior to the recent announcements.

The latest moves stand out because they involve several major Western powers, marking a significant shift in diplomatic support for Palestinian statehood.