The United Kingdom on Sunday formally recognized a Palestinian state, joining Canada and Australia in a coordinated move that marks a major diplomatic shift among Western nations.
Canada became the first G7 country to extend recognition earlier this week, followed by Australia. The U.K. announcement, delivered by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, comes as international pressure mounts to revive prospects for a two-state solution amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Starmer said recognition was “a step toward peace and justice” and an effort to give new momentum to stalled negotiations. “Our recognition of Palestine is rooted in the belief that Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live side by side in peace and security,” he said.
Palestinian officials welcomed the move as historic, saying it strengthened their claim to independence and sovereignty. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki called the recognition “an irreversible step toward the two-state solution.”
Israel strongly condemned the decision, accusing London, Ottawa and Canberra of undermining the peace process and rewarding violence. The United States also voiced concern, maintaining that Palestinian statehood should only come through direct negotiations with Israel.
The recognition does not immediately change conditions on the ground, with much of the West Bank under Israeli occupation and Gaza controlled by Hamas. But it carries symbolic weight, breaking with decades of cautious Western diplomacy and potentially encouraging other nations to follow.
Diplomats said the coordinated announcements were timed ahead of this week’s U.N. General Assembly in New York, where the conflict in Gaza and the future of a two-state solution are expected to dominate debate. (Newswire)
