Three Western allies recognize Palestinian state

Announcement by the U.K., Australia and Canada angers Israel’s Netanyahu.

- BY PAN PYLAS

The U.K., Australia and Canada formally recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday, prompting an angry response from Israel, which ruled out the prospect.

The coordinated initiative from the Commonwealth nations and longtime allies of Israel, announced on the eve of the annual U.N. General Assembly gathering, reflects growing outrage at Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza and the steps taken by the Israeli government to thwart any efforts to create a Palestinian state, including by the continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has faced pressure to take a harder line on Israel within his governing Labor Party, said his nation’s move is intended “to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis.” But he insisted that it wasn’t a reward for Hamas, which rules Gaza and is designated a terrorist group by the U.K. and the U.S.

“Today, to revive the hope of peace and a two-state solution, I state clearly as prime minister of this great country that the United Kingdom formally recognizes the state of Palestine,” Starmer said in his video message. “We recognized the state of Israel more than 75 years ago as a homeland for the Jewish people. Today we join over 150 countries who recognize a Palestinian state also. A pledge to the Palestinian and Israeli people that there can be a better future.”

The moves by the three countries prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to say that the establishment of a Palestinian state “will not happen,” while Hamas urged the international community to isolate Israel.

International outrage has mounted over Israel's 23-month war on Gaza, which has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians and caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with experts saying Gaza City is experiencing famine. A U.N. commission this month declared that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, a claim Israel denies.