National Times Bureau (Rajeev Sharma): Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom jointly announced their recognition of the State of Palestine, reaffirming support for a two-state solution in the Middle East. The coordinated move, declared in separate statements by Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese, Mark Carney, and Keir Starmer, emphasized that the recognition was meant to revive hopes for peace and not to reward Hamas, which they urged must disband immediately.
Albanese called the recognition a historic acknowledgment of the Palestinian people’s long-held aspirations for independence, while Carney cited Canada’s decades-long support for a two-state solution as the foundation of its decision. Starmer said the UK’s step was grounded in its manifesto commitments, stressing that continued Israeli settlement expansion, the war in Gaza, and Hamas’s actions were extinguishing hopes of lasting peace. The leaders maintained that only a sovereign and viable Palestinian state living alongside Israel in peace and security could pave the way to stability.
The move, however, sparked backlash in Israel. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum condemned the decision, arguing that recognition without the release of 48 hostages held by Hamas was morally indefensible. Israeli Democrats’ chairman Yair Golan labeled the recognition “extremely damaging” to Israel, warning of its consequences ahead of the UN summit in New York, where more nations are expected to formally endorse Palestinian statehood.
