In a dramatic shift of foreign policy, the governments of the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada announced Sunday that they will formally recognize a Palestinian state, a move expected to be echoed by France and other European nations in the coming days.
The coordinated decision marks the first time major Western allies of Israel have broken from Washington’s longstanding stance of conditioning recognition on Palestinian renunciation of violence.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese framed the recognition as an attempt to “breathe new life” into the stalled two-state solution, calling it a way to honor “the long-held aspirations of the Palestinians.” U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed that rationale, declaring, “We are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace.” His government had previously warned Israel it would move ahead with recognition if fighting in Gaza continued and settlement construction in the West Bank expanded.
For Jerusalem, the announcement landed as a stinging rebuke. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision as rewarding Hamas, the terrorist group still holding dozens of Israeli hostages nearly two years after its October 7 massacre.
He vowed that no Palestinian state would ever be allowed “west of the Jordan River.” Netanyahu also pointed to Israel’s expanding West Bank communities as a point of pride, promising, “We will continue on this path.”
That defiance, however, has done little to stem what many see as Israel’s growing isolation. With more than 140 countries already recognizing a Palestinian state, the recognition by Britain—a nation historically central to Israel’s founding—represents a symbolic victory for the Palestinian cause and a serious diplomatic blow to Israel.
The announcements come just ahead of the U.N. General Assembly, where France, Belgium and others are expected to follow suit. The recognition wave underscores the growing impatience in Western capitals with Israel’s Gaza campaign and settlement policies.
Yuval Shany, a law professor at Hebrew University, called it “a diplomatic and political defeat for Israel, at least the way the current government is articulating Israeli policy.”
The shift also fractures what was once a carefully coordinated Western strategy: holding recognition as an incentive for Palestinians to renounce violence and engage in peace talks. By moving unilaterally, governments like Starmer’s and Albanese’s have instead created what critics see as a perverse incentive—granting statehood recognition while Hamas remains entrenched in Gaza.
Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, attempted to draw a distinction, insisting his government’s recognition was meant to empower Palestinians seeking “the end of Hamas.” Yet even he admitted Ottawa’s decision was driven by the view that Israel’s government is working “methodically to prevent the prospect of a Palestinian state from ever being established.”
For Washington, the developments highlight America’s shrinking circle of allies that have not recognized Palestinian statehood. President Trump previously warned that Canada’s recognition could affect trade negotiations.
Some Israeli officials are now urging Netanyahu to retaliate by annexing parts of the West Bank—though doing so could jeopardize the historic Abraham Accords Trump brokered with Arab states.
British Conservatives have blasted Starmer for failing to demand basic conditions before recognition, such as the release of Israeli hostages. “Recognition of a Palestinian state at this time and without the release of the hostages would be a reward for terrorism,” said Kemi Badenoch, leader of the opposition.
Public opinion in Britain does lean toward Palestinian statehood, though support drops sharply when recognition comes with no strings attached.
That gap may prove significant in the weeks ahead, as Israel prepares its diplomatic response and Netanyahu travels to New York for the U.N. General Assembly before meeting Trump in Washington.
For Israel, the message from its traditional allies is unmistakable: the world’s patience is wearing thin. Yet as Netanyahu made clear, Israel intends to chart its own course—rejecting what he views as reckless international moves that could leave the Jewish state more vulnerable to its enemies.
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