Britain, Canada, and Australia Formally Recognize Palestinian State

What Happened?

Leaders from Britain, Canada, and Australia announced that they are formally recognizing a Palestinian state. French President Macron is expected to make a similar announcement on Monday. The move drew praise from Palestinian officials, including Hamas, but elicited sharp rebukes from Israel and the United States. 

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said recognition of a Palestinian state depended on the fulfillment of several ‘commitments Australia has received from the Palestinian Authority.’ Including a pledge to demilitarize and to hold general elections, as well as a recognition of ‘Israel’s right to exist in peace and security.’ Canadian officials said they had similar conditions for their recognition.

Why it Matters

Britain and Canada are the first nations from the Group of Seven countries to formally recognize Palestinian statehood, and France would be the third. The Group of Seven consists of Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States. All seven are advanced, industrialized democracies. There are now far more nations that recognize a Palestinian state than those that do not.

Despite the growing number of countries that have granted recognition to a Palestinian state, the recent moves by Britain, Australia, and Canada are largely symbolic. With much of Gaza in ruins and most Palestinians displaced by the war, the reality on the ground is that the actual existence of a state has never been further away. 

Israel sharply criticized the moves by Britain, Canada, and Australia, saying there would be a response without specifying what it might be. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement saying, ‘there will not be a Palestinian state.’ Indeed, with Hamas severely damaged from two years of war and no other governing authority realistically able to take its place, the reality of a Palestinian state under current conditions seems remote. 

The Israeli military has encountered significant resistance in Gaza City from Hamas militants, suggesting that while Hamas has been damaged, it can still field thousands of fighters. Hamas fighters and military supplies have likely escaped destruction from Israeli airstrikes by hiding in hundreds of miles of tunnels beneath the Gaza Strip. While Israel has destroyed some of those tunnels, the network is so vast it could take years to completely eliminate. 

All the countries that have recently announced their support for a Palestinian state have done so due to popular anger over deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza due to the war. 

How it Affects You

Many U.S. allies have joined in the recognition of a Palestinian state, but not all. Germany and Italy have said they do not intend to follow suit anytime soon. The war in Gaza and now the recognition of a Palestinian state could drive a political wedge between the U.S. and some of its closest allies. 

It is unlikely international recognition of a Palestinian state will change much in Gaza, at least in the short term.