UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal formally recognize the state of Palestine

The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal recognized the state of Palestine on Sunday in a move aimed at promoting the “two-state solution.”

With this decision, the four Western countries, traditionally allies of Israel, have aligned themselves with more than 140 nations that support the aspiration for an independent homeland in the occupied territories.

London’s decision carried special symbolism due to the significant role it played in the establishment of Israel as a state after the Second World War.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, “Today, the United Kingdom officially recognizes the State of Palestine to revive the hope for peace and the two-state solution for Palestinians and Israelis. The man-made humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached new dimensions. The Israeli government’s brutal and escalating bombardment of Gaza, the attacks in recent weeks, the hunger, and the destruction are absolutely unacceptable.”

Starmer argued that the “two-state solution” means a “viable Palestinian state” alongside a “safe and secure Israel.”

“This solution is not a reward for Hamas. Our call for a genuine two-state solution is the complete opposite of [Hamas’s] hateful vision,” the British leader said.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on X, “Canada recognizes the state of Palestine and offers our partnership to build the promise of a peaceful future.”

Announcing his country’s decision, Carney said the move would empower those who “want an end to Hamas” and promote peaceful coexistence, adding, “This in no way legitimizes terrorism, nor is it a reward for terrorism.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Canberra’s move “recognizes the legitimate and long-standing aspirations of the Palestinian people to have their own state.”

Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said this recognition is “one of the fundamental principles of Portuguese foreign policy.” Speaking to reporters at Portugal’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, Rangel said, “Portugal advocates for the two-state solution as the only path to a just and lasting peace… An immediate ceasefire is necessary.”

Other countries, including France, are expected to follow suit at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.

At the heart of the French plan, now fully supported by Arab states, is making the recognition process part of a broader framework.

This framework includes a reformed, democratically elected Palestinian Authority that would replace a disarmed and dismantled Hamas in Gaza in the event of a ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision. Netanyahu said, “I have a clear message for the leaders who recognized the Palestinian state after the horrific massacre of October 7: You are giving a huge reward to terrorism.”

The Israeli leader asserted that “a Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River.”

In a statement on X, Netanyahu said, “A jihadist state on Israel’s border today will threaten Britain tomorrow.”

Sharaf al-Tarda, a Palestinian living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Hebron, said, “It is the humanitarian duty of every respectful and free person in the world to support the Palestinians in the difficult process they are going through, and Britain’s role falls within this scope.”

Hamas welcomed the move but stated that “practical measures” are needed to end the war in Gaza and prevent Israel’s annexation of the West Bank.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the recognition would pave the way for “the State of Palestine to live side by side with the State of Israel in security, peace, and good neighborliness.”

Starmer wrote a letter to Abbas confirming his country’s decision, noting that while London supported a Jewish homeland with the 1917 Balfour Declaration, it also pledged to protect the rights of “non-Jewish communities.”

Politicians from across the British political spectrum have condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, but Starmer’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state was criticized by some conservatives.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of “moral confusion.”

Badenoch wrote in The Telegraph on Saturday, “This sends a signal to terrorists and bullies that Britain no longer knows which way it is going.”