MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Four Western countries recognize Palestine's statehood

While a significant diplomatic victory for Palestine, the declaration is expected to have a limited effect for the time being

The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal have formally recognized the State of Palestine, bringing the total number of United Nations members who have done so to 147.

Leaders from the UK, Canada, and Australia cited the escalating violence in the West Bank for their decision, as well as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They emphasized that this recognition was not a reward for the terrorist organization Hamas and that the group would have no role in a future Palestinian government.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the decision follows increased violence and settlement growth in the West Bank, aiming to restore hope for peace in the region. In a letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Starmer pointed out that the United Kingdom was recognizing the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to statehood.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney noted that his government could not wait for a negotiated peace agreement, as the current Israeli government's policies were actively preventing a Palestinian state from being established.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese insisted Sunday's recognition was a “legitimate and long-held aspiration” of the Palestinian people.

Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said that his country remained committed to holding ties with both Israel and Palestine. However, Lisbon's declaration was a plea for an end to hostilities and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza just ahead of an international conference on the two-state solution.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the actions, stating that they rewarded terrorism and that a Palestinian state would not be established. The United States also remains opposed to the move, arguing that recognition should be the final step of a negotiated peace deal.

Netanyahu also clarified that Israel's response to Sunday's recognitions would be decided only after he returns from the United States next week. “The response to attempts to impose terror states in the heart of our land will be given after my return from the US,“ the prime minister said. “There will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan River.”

Meanwhile, the National Council of Canadian Muslims called it ”an important historical day.”

While the recognition is a significant diplomatic shift for these countries, it may have a limited effect, as Palestine lacks internationally agreed-upon boundaries and a unified government, with control split between the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.