On the eve of the United Nations General Assembly, Britain, Canada and Australia announced, almost simultaneously, their formal recognition of a Palestinian state. Hours later, Portugal joined them.
The coordinated initiative, spanning three continents, underscores Israel’s growing diplomatic isolation and tests the relationship between these allies and the Trump administration, The New York Times reported.
In a video statement, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer framed the move as a historic responsibility: “The hope for a two-state solution is fading, but we cannot let that light go out. (…) Today, to revive the hope of peace and a two-state solution, I state clearly, as prime minister of this great country, that the United Kingdom formally recognizes the State of Palestine.”
Canada and Australia followed with similar declarations. Speaking from New York, Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel insisted that a two-state solution was “the only path to a just and lasting peace,” according to The New York Times.
This wave of recognition comes as France has pledged to vote in favor of Palestinian statehood at the U.N. this week, joining “roughly 150 members” who have already taken that step, the paper noted.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney accused Israel’s government of “working methodically to prevent the prospect of a Palestinian state from ever being established.” In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stressed that the two-state solution has “always been the only path to enduring peace and security for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.”
By aligning so clearly with Palestinian statehood, three U.S. allies are now openly diverging from the White House position, The New York Times observed, even as Gaza’s humanitarian crisis dominates global diplomacy.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decisions, declaring: “I have a clear message to those leaders who recognize a Palestinian state after the terrible massacre on Oct. 7: you are giving a huge reward to terrorism. And I have another message: it will not happen. A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River.”
While the announcements deepen Israel’s diplomatic isolation, The New York Times emphasized that recognition will not immediately change realities on the ground. The gesture remains largely symbolic, a signal of support for Palestinian self-determination, while the prospect of a viable state remains more remote than ever.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the British decision, calling it “an important and necessary step toward achieving a just and lasting peace.” Hamas leader Husam Badran described it as “a step in the right direction, even if it came late,” but rejected British conditions barring Hamas from any future role in government or security, the Times noted.
Public Pressure, Human Rights and Arms Sales
According to The New York Times, Starmer’s move comes amid rising pressure within the Labour Party and across British public opinion, fueled by images of civilian suffering in Gaza.
Yet critics argue that London has not gone far enough. The U.K. has stopped short of labeling Israel’s actions genocide, despite calls from Labour MPs and legal experts. While some arms exports to Israel have been suspended, Britain continues to supply parts for F-35 fighter jets used in Gaza airstrikes, the paper reported.
Downing Street has sanctioned far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich and indicated it would respect its “legal obligations” under international law if Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court warrant, were to travel to Britain.
Daniel Levy, a former Israeli peace negotiator who heads the U.S./Middle East Project, told The New York Times that the recognition would not shift the trajectory of the conflict: “The U.K. government will hope that this buys them an extended period of quiet without having to take further moves. (…) But if Israel’s actions remain as egregious and aggressive as they currently are, that is highly unlikely to hold.”
According to the Times, while these recognitions will not halt Israel’s military operations or change the balance of power on the ground, they mark a significant diplomatic shift. For the first time in decades, major U.S. allies are signaling that abandoning the two-state project poses greater risks than confronting Washington and Jerusalem.
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Source: NYTimes
