The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia this Sunday recognized Palestine statea radical change in the foreign policy of these great powers that unleashed the indignation of Israel.
In recent months, several traditionally allied countries of Israel have given The symbolic step of recognizing To the Palestinian State, in a context marked by the resurgence of the military offensive in the Gaza Strip, initiated after the unprecedented attack of the Islamist movement Hamas against Israeli territory in 2023.
The United Kingdom and Canada became the first countries of the G7 to take this step on Sunday, before the celebration on Monday of a summit co -presided by France and Saudi Arabia outside the UN General Assembly, where the future of the solution of two states in the conflict area will be addressed.
In this instance, A dozen countries will confirm their formal recognition of the Palestinian state.
The United Kingdom, the historic ally of Israel, took the step this Sunday in a historical change in decades of foreign policy and the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, declared that the recognition of the state of Palestine seeks to “revive the hope of peace between Palestinians and Israelis, and a solution of two states.”
The president of the Palestinian authority, Mahmud Abás, said that this announcement “constitutes an important and necessary step to achieve a fair and lasting peace in accordance with international legitimacy.”
In a simultaneous announcement with that of the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carnydeclared in X that his country “recognizes the state of Palestine and offers its collaboration to build the promise of a peaceful future for both the state of Palestine and for the state of Israel.”
Australia joined them And Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared that his country “recognizes the legitimate and prolonged aspirations of the people of Palestine of having their own state.”
Starmer announced in July that his country would recognize a Palestinian state in the UN General Assembly, unless Israel fulfilled a series of commitments, including a fire in Gaza.
British viceprimer David Lammy had said that “with the attack [de Israel] In Qatar, the idea of a high fire has become trizas. “
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahupromised “fighting, both in the UN and in all other areas, against the false propaganda” directed towards their country and against “the calls for the creation of a Palestinian state, which would endanger our existence and serve as an absurd prize for terrorism.”
In Portugal, the Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday that the country “will recognize the state of Palestine” this Sunday.
Lisbon had advanced the measure last July taking into account “extremely worrying evolution of the conflictboth in the humanitarian plane and for the repeated references to a possible annexation of Palestinian territories. “
Annexation of the West Bank
In response to the announcement of these great powers, the Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, declared that this recognition “requires immediate measures” and detailed first “The rapid application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria”a term that designates the West Bank.
Ben Gvir, belonging to the ultra -right party Jewish power, also requested, “the complete dismantling of the Palestinian authority.”
The Vice Prime British Minister, who will represent the United Kingdom at the UN General Assembly, denounced The expansion of colonization in the Palestinian territoriesin particular the so -called E1 project.
This plan, approved by the Israeli government, seeks to build 3,400 housing in the West Bank and has been criticized by the UN because it would divide the Palestinian territory into two.
“We must keep alive the perspective of a solution of two states, currently in danger, not only because of the conflict in Gaza, but also because of the violence and the expansion of colonization,” Lammy said.
The United States, the main ally of Israel, criticized the Franco-Saudí initiative to recognize the Palestinian State.
During his visit this week to the United Kingdom, the president Donald Trump expressed his opposition to the British decision at a joint press conference with Starmer.
Approximately three quarters of the 193 UN Member States recognize the Palestinian State, proclaimed in 1988 by the Palestinian direction in exile.
Israel launched on Tuesday A great land and air military campaign To take the city of Gaza, the largest urban center in the territory, to annihilate Hamas.
The war broke out on October 7, 2023, when Islamist commands killed 1,219 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP count based on official sources.
The Israeli retaliation campaign He killed more than 65,200 Palestinians in the Gaza Stripalso mostly civilians, according to figures from the Ministry of Health of the Territory -governded by Hamas -that the UN considers reliable.
