The flags of Palestine and other Arab states are waved as pro-Palestine demonstrators march in Ottawa in October, 2024. Prime Minister Mark Carney has previously said that Canada could not wait for a negotiated peace agreement between Israeli and Palestinian leaders to recognize Palestinian statehood.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Canada, Britain and Australia officially recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday, a co-ordinated effort to put pressure on Israel as it wages war in Gaza, and to revive the chances of a two-state solution to the conflict.
Portugal followed suit with a similar statement later in the day, and France is expected to issue its recognition Monday.
The decision by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government puts it at odds with this country’s most important ally, the United States, and represents a significant shift in Canadian foreign policy, which previously held that such recognition would come only after a negotiated peace agreement between Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Mr. Carney’s rationale, outlined in a statement published Sunday, amounted to a condemnation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
It’s unlikely the recognition will mean much in practice. Palestine has no internationally agreed boundaries, no capital and control is split between the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Prime Minister said Canada could not delay recognition because the viability of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is eroding.
“The current Israeli government is working methodically to prevent the prospect of a Palestinian state from ever being established,” he said.
“It has pursued an unrelenting policy of settlement expansion in the West Bank, which is illegal under international law. Its sustained assault in Gaza has killed tens of thousands of civilians, displaced well over one million people, and caused a devastating and preventable famine in violation of international law,” Mr. Carney said.
It is now, he noted, “the avowed policy of the current Israeli government that ‘there will be no Palestinian state.’”
Prime Minister Mark Carney formally announced that Canada will recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly.
The Canadian Press
Mr. Carney said it’s in this context that Canada recognizes Palestine and offers its partnership in building a peaceful future for both Palestinians and the state of Israel.
In British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement Sunday, he condemned the Hamas attack on Israel of Oct. 7, 2023, and said, “the hostages must be released immediately.”
Mr. Starmer also sought to address criticisms from Israel that recognition of a Palestinian state rewards Hamas terrorism, and he announced more British sanctions on Hamas officials.
“Our call for a genuine two-state solution is the exact opposite of their hateful vision. So we are clear this solution is not a reward for Hamas because it means Hamas can have no future, no role in government, no role in security,” he said.
Mr. Carney cited the failure of the Israeli government to prevent a deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza, the pervasive threat of Hamas terrorism and accelerated Israeli settlement building across the West Bank and East Jerusalem among other factors in his decision to recognize Palestine.
Canada’s recognition comes in tandem with other Western countries, including France and Britain. A Palestinian flag flies during a protest in front of the Gare du Nord railway station in Paris.Benoit Tessier/Reuters
Mr. Netanyahu condemned the spate of recognitions Sunday.
“I have a clear message to those leaders who recognize a Palestinian state after the horrific massacre of October 7: You are giving a huge reward to terrorism,” he said in a statement.
“And I have another message for you: It will not happen. A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River.”
Major Western allies such as Germany, Italy and Japan have also opposed recognition, arguing that it should be a final step on the path toward a two-state solution.
Nonetheless, this will be the first time some of Israel’s major allies have taken such a step and it will mean that four of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Britain, France, Russia and China − recognize a Palestinian state. Only the U.S. remains opposed. Full UN statehood requires the support of all five security-council members.
Israel, which has come under strong international condemnation for the way it is prosecuting the war in Gaza, is currently pressing ahead with an assault on Gaza City.
Protesters call for an end to the Gaza war in Paris on Sunday.BERTRAND GUAY/AFP/Getty Images
Canada’s recognition, in tandem with France, Britain, Australia and Portugal, lends more Western weight to the Palestinian drive for statehood. These countries join the 75 per cent of United Nations member states that have already recognized a Palestinian state since the late 1980s.
In his declaration, Mr. Carney rejected the notion that this is a boon for Hamas.
“Recognizing the State of Palestine, led by the Palestinian Authority, empowers those who seek peaceful coexistence and the end of Hamas. This in no way legitimizes terrorism, nor is it any reward for it.”
He said Canada remains a steadfast supporter of Israel, “its people, and their security – security that can only ultimately be guaranteed through the achievement of a comprehensive two-state solution.”
Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas said the move would allow the “State of Palestine to live side by side with the State of Israel in security, peace, and good neighbourliness.”
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Little progress on the two-state proposal has been made. The main sticking points have included negotiating land swaps with Israel and naming Jerusalem as a shared capital.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand last Friday said that despite offering recognition, Canada will nevertheless withhold full normalization of relations with Palestine until the territory’s leadership delivers on commitments they made, including releasing Israeli hostages.
She said Canada’s conditions also include Hamas laying down its weapons, for Hamas to have no role in the future governance of Palestine and for there to be democratic reforms in the territory. The Canadian government considers Hamas a terrorist organization.
Canada’s recognition also precedes a France-Saudi Arabia conference Monday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The forum will discuss a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, on the premise that official recognition of an independent Palestinian state, side by side with Israel, and security guarantees for both peoples, will help bring an end to that conflict.
Shoes are laid out in Strasbourg, France, on Saturday to symbolize Palestinians killed during Israel’s offensive on the Gaza strip.FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP/Getty Images
The United States under President Donald Trump has staunchly opposed recognition of a Palestinian state, saying it rewards Hamas and undermines the prospect of peace.
The U.S. last month revoked a visa that would have enabled Mr. Abbas to attend the two-state conference. He will instead address the event by video link.
On Friday, 25 Republican members of Congress released an open letter to Mr. Carney and leaders of Britain, France and Australia, warning them of punitive reprisals if they proceeded with plans for the “unilateral recognition” of a Palestinian state.
On Monday, the Prime Minister will speak at both the two-state solution conference and the Council on Foreign Relations think tank.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused Mr. Carney of recognizing a Palestinian state − which he called the “Hamas state” – in an effort to distract Canadians from challenges at home, including immigration and job losses.
Noah Shack, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said Canada is benefiting Hamas through its actions. “This move emboldens Hamas, undermines peace efforts, prolongs the suffering of Palestinians under Hamas rule, and fuels global incitement against the Jewish people.”
Mr. Shack said Mr. Carney’s July announcement of his plan to recognize Palestine has fuelled antisemitism in Canada.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims, in a post on X, said of Canada’s move that “today is an important historical day.”
Israel has come under strong international condemnation for its war in Gaza, sparking protests in Canada and around the world. Protesters hold Palestinian flags during a rally to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, in Ottawa, March, 2024.Ismail Shakil/Reuters