Britain, Australia and Canada recognise Palestinian state

LONDON: Britain, Canada and Australia all recognised a Palestinian state on Sunday (Sep 21) in a move borne out of frustration over the Gaza war and intended to promote a two-state solution, but which is also bound to anger Israel and its main ally, the United States.

The three nations' decision aligned them with about 140 other countries which also back the Palestinians' aspiration to forge an independent homeland from the Israeli-occupied territories.

Britain's decision carried particular symbolic weight given its major role in Israel's creation as a modern nation in the aftermath of World War II.

"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," Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on X.

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

In a move that put Starmer at odds with US President Donald Trump, Britain had issued Israel with an ultimatum in July saying it would recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel took steps to end the "appalling situation" in Gaza.

Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian Mission in London, called the decision a "long-overdue recognition" that "is not about Palestine, but about Britain's fulfilment of a solemn responsibility".

"It marks an irreversible step towards justice, peace, and the correction of historic wrongs," he added in a statement.

Starmer had said in July that Britain would recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel reached a ceasefire with Hamas militants, let more aid into Gaza, made clear there would be no annexation of the West Bank, and committed to a peace process delivering a two-state solution.

"Since that announcement in July, in fact, with the attack on Qatar, a ceasefire at this point lays in tatters, and the prospects are bleak," Lammy said, noting Israel had also moved forward with a settlement plan.

Starmer has been under pressure from many of his own lawmakers, angry at the rising death toll in Gaza and images of starving children.

BRITAIN'S HISTORIC INVOLVEMENT

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this month there will never be a Palestinian state and has accused countries that recognise a Palestinian state of rewarding "Hamas's monstrous terrorism".

Londoners voiced mixed reactions.

"A whole lot needs to happen and peace needs to come to that region," said 56-year-old charity director Michael Angus. "This is the first step in actually acknowledging that those people have a right to have somewhere to call home."

Retiree Stephen, who declined to give his last name, said the government "probably means well" but argued the move was misguided: "They are sort of abandoning Israel ... and with Hamas, (they) are almost sort of supporting them."

Lammy previously said Britain has a historic responsibility to facilitate a two-state solution, dating back to the 1917 Balfour Declaration which pledged that the creation of a Jewish state would not infringe on Arab rights.

British troops captured Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire in 1917, and in 1922 the League of Nations awarded Britain an international mandate to administer Palestine during the post-war deal-making that redrew the map of the Middle East.

"While a welcome step, Britain owes Palestine far more than recognition," said Victor Kattan, public international law professor and adviser to the "Britain Owes Palestine" campaign, arguing for an apology and reparations for engineering violent divisions.

The decision may mean the Palestinian Mission in London is upgraded to embassy status. It could also result in banning products that come from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

ISRAELI MINISTER SAYS DECISION REWARDS 'MURDERERS'

Israel's Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that Britain, Canada and Australia's decisions on Sunday were a reward for "murderers", a reference to the Hamas militant group whose October 2023 attack triggered the nearly two-year war.

That assault killed 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's ensuing campaign has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Gazan health authorities, and has spread famine, demolished most buildings and displaced most of the population - in many cases multiple times.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin welcomed countries recognising a Palestinian state.

"It is a move bringing us closer to sovereignty and independence. It might not end the war tomorrow, but it's a move forward, which we need to build on and amplify," she said.

Western governments have been under pressure from many in their parties and populations angry at the ever-rising death toll in Gaza and images of starving children.

"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," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Sunday.

Australia said it was recognising Palestine alongside Canada and Britain as part of an effort to revive momentum for a two-state solution that starts with a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held there, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a joint statement with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Hamas must have no role in Palestine, the statement said.

Israeli minister Ben-Gvir said he would propose at the next cabinet meeting to apply sovereignty in the West Bank - de facto annexation of land Israel seized in a 1967 war. He also said the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, should be dismantled.