In A Historic Move, UK, Canada And Australia Formally Recognise Palestinian State

In A Historic Move, UK, Canada And Australia Formally Recognise Palestinian State

On Sunday, Britain, Canada and Australia made a landmark decision to officially recognize the Palestinian state, joining other nations in this significant diplomatic development.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin emphasized that nations recognizing Palestinian statehood this week were taking an irreversible action that preserves the two-state solution and advances Palestinian independence and sovereignty.

The formal recognition by Britain, Canada and Australia on Sunday represents part of a broader international effort to reinvigorate momentum for a two-state solution, despite criticism from Israel and the United States.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on social media: "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."

Similar declarations were made by Canadian and Australian leaders on their respective social media platforms, marking this coordinated diplomatic initiative.

"Now is the time. Tomorrow is a historic date we need to build on. It's not the end," Shahin told reporters in Ramallah.

"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 added, referring to Israel's military operations in Gaza that have continued for nearly two years.

Israel has responded with sharp criticism to these recognitions. Some Israeli ministers have dismissed them as irrelevant, claiming they do not alter realities on the ground. Others maintain that a Palestinian state can only emerge through direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently declared that a Palestinian state would never come into existence.

Shahin countered that Israel shows no intention of negotiating, pointing to Netanyahu's statements at a ceremony for a new settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that would separate northern Palestinian communities from southern ones.

"This recognition is certainly not symbolic. It is a practical, tangible, irreversible step that countries must take if they are invested in preserving the two-state solution," Shahin emphasized.

France and Saudi Arabia have been spearheading efforts to revitalize momentum for the two-state solution, with several countries set to recognize a Palestinian state this week at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has criticized these efforts as counterproductive and merely for show. Meanwhile, Israeli officials have strengthened their positions on settlement construction and West Bank annexation as international support for Palestinian statehood grows.

Israel has experienced increasing diplomatic isolation this year, with many close allies, except the United States, condemning its military actions in Gaza. Some have imposed sanctions on Israeli ministers for inciting violence against Palestinians.

Shahin advocated for political pressure on Israel to transition into economic measures "to hold Israel accountable and protect the Palestinian people."

"Today, Gaza burns. Today, Gaza is destroyed. Today in Gaza, people are systematically murdered," Shahin stated, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, an allegation Israel denies.

A United Nations Commission of Inquiry recently concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, a determination also reached by a scholars' association, Amnesty International, and two prominent human rights organizations in Israel.