Britain, Canada and Australia announced formal recognition of the state of Palestine on Sunday, in an attempt to pile pressure on Israel as it presses on with its campaign in Gaza despite international outrage.
The three – all strong allies of Israel for decades – also expressed deep frustration at the lack of progress towards a two-state solution.
France and several other countries are expected to follow suit at the United Nations General Assembly this week, deepening Israel’s isolation and putting them at odds with Israel’s key partner, the United States.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that “there will be no Palestinian state.”
“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,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Sunday.
More than 140 other members of the UN already recognize Palestine, a number that has grown in the face of mounting alarm over Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
In the first of a series of apparently coordinated announcements Sunday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on X his country “recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the state of Palestine and the State of Israel.”
