The United Kingdom and Canada will officially recognize Palestine as a state in September

Following in the footsteps of his ally Macron, the United Kingdom and Canada announced that they will officially recognize a Palestinian state in September during the UN General Assembly. 

In the British case, the announcement was made by the socialist Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday, who with this stunt seeks to pressure the Israeli government to take a series of measures that would alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and move toward the creation of a Palestinian state. 

That is, Starmer threatened Palestinian recognition so that  Israel would be conditioned to agree to a ceasefire, allow the resumption of humanitarian aid by the United Nations, and commit to not annexing parts of the West Bank. 

Israel rejects the British show. 

Reasonably, Israel immediately rejected the British declaration.  Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the United Kingdom's change of stance represents "a reward for Hamas" and undermines efforts to achieve a ceasefire and free the Israeli hostages.

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes the two-state solution, believes that Palestinian recognition in this context legitimizes the terrorist group that committed the atrocious attacks of October 7, 2023. 

Starmer also demanded that Hamas release all hostages, disarm, and have no role in a future Palestinian government in Gaza. Despite the conditions set, he emphasized that the Palestinian people's right to have their own state is "inalienable."

Canadian naivety. 

Canada, meanwhile, also reported that it will recognize Palestine in September during the UN assembly, taking a path similar to its French and British allies. 

The socialist Mark Carney, current prime minister of the northern country, stressed that his decision depends on significant reforms by the Palestinian Authority (PA), including holding elections in 2026 in which Hamas will not be able to participate and must be dismantled. 

Carney reiterated Canada's unconditional support for Israel's right to exist in security, but naively pointed out that lasting peace also requires a viable Palestinian state.

A reward for Hamas

Israel also rejected the Canadian stance, calling it detrimental to ceasefire efforts. In an even harsher tone, the mayor of Hampstead, Jeremy Levi, accused Carney of rewarding terror with a state and stated that Israel has the right to annex Gaza. 

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has also expressed his opposition to the recognition of Palestine. Although he did not directly criticize Starmer after a recent meeting in Scotland, he warned that such an action would be seen as a reward for Hamas.

Trump clarified that he was not informed by Starmer of his plans during the meeting. Later, the American president reaffirmed his position by stating that his priority is to feed civilians in Gaza, but not to grant legitimacy to Hamas.