The UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal have formally recognised a Palestinian state — a major policy shift ahead of this week’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80) in New York.
Today, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Andorra and San Marino are expected to follow suit at a special UN conference co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
What leaders are saying
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned Israel not to annex parts of the West Bank in retaliation, stressing that recognition is about ensuring security for both Israelis and Palestinians.
President Macron told CBS News that recognition is “the only way to provide a political solution” and must be accompanied by a ceasefire, humanitarian access to Gaza, and the release of hostages. He rejected accusations that his stance was antisemitic.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decisions, calling them a “huge reward to terrorism” and vowing that a Palestinian state “will not happen west of the Jordan River.”
Israeli opposition figures including Yair Lapid and Yair Golan — usually critical of Netanyahu — also rejected recognition, branding it “destructive” and a “diplomatic disaster.”
Palestinian voices have been mixed: some activists call it historic but “too late,” while others argue recognition is meaningless without an end to the war in Gaza and settlement expansion in the West Bank.