Sept. 21 (UPI) — Three of Israel’s oldest allies — Australia, Britain and Canada — formally recognized the state of Palestine on Sunday, and more countries are expected to follow suit in the coming week.
The three countries join 147 other nations that recognize Palestine as a sovereign state. Also expected to make announcements — some Monday at a U.N. conference to discuss a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict — are Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Portugal, Malta, and possibly Lichtenstein and New Zealand — according to The Guardian.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said London’s decision to recognize Palestine was in an effort to support the possibility of a two-state solution, which it views as being under threat amid the war with Israel.
She also said Hamas “can have no role” in the future of an independent Palestine and called for the release of the remaining hostages from the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
“Recognition is only one part of what must be a stronger and wider push for peace,” she said. “We need to end the conflict in Gaza, secure the release of all hostages and get humanitarian aid to all those who desperately need it.
“That requires not just an immediate cease-fire, but a plan for a durable peace, which will be a key to my diplomatic drive at the U.N. this week.”
Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, welcomed Sunday’s announcement.
“Any step to strengthen the legitimate Palestinian rights, foremost among them the full sovereign Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem and the right to self-determination, is a welcomed step,” he told CNN.
In response to the announcements by Australia, Britain and Canada, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused members of the international community of attempting to “force a terror state upon us in the heart of our land.”
“I have a clear message to those leaders recognizing a Palestinian state after the horrific massacre of October 7th: You are giving a massive prize to terror,” he said in a statement.
“There will be no Palestinian state.”
