On Sunday, Canada, Britain, Australia, and Portugal, officially recognized the state of Palestine, eliciting strong reactions from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and its National Security Minister Ben-Gvir.
On Monday, United Nations General Assembly is holding a session in New York to discuss the implementation of the so-called “two-state solution”, where Belgium, San Marino, Andorra, Malta, France, and Luxembourg have stated their intention to recognize a Palestinian state.
Of the 193 member states belonging to the United Nations, 153 (79%) have now recognized the state of Palestine, the first of which was Iran in 1988.
Media sources said that the Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel announced on Sunday evening that Portugal officially recognizes the State of Palestine, and added that Portugal “supports the two-state solution as the only way to achieve lasting peace.”
Similarly, the Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese announced that Australia officially recognizes the State of Palestine, adding that “Australia recognizes the long-standing and legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to establish their own state.”
In a statement, the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, announced Canada’s full recognition of the Palestinian state, adding that “All Canadian governments have consistently supported the two-state solution to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East. This solution includes the establishment of a sovereign, democratic, and viable Palestinian state, building its future in peace and security alongside the State of Israel.”
Regarding Israel’s ongoing violations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Carney stated that “The current Israeli government is working hard to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. It has pursued a continued policy of expanding settlements in the West Bank, which is illegal under international law. Its ongoing assault on Gaza has killed tens of thousands of civilians, displaced more than a million people, and caused a devastating and preventable famine, in violation of international law.”
In a statement, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that “in order to revive the hope of peace and the two-state solution, I clearly announce, as Prime Minister of this great country, that the United Kingdom officially recognizes the State of Palestine.”
Starmer added that “In the face of escalating horrors in the Middle East, we are working to keep alive the possibility of peace and a two-state solution. This means a secure and protected Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state – and right now we have neither. The moment to recognize the state of Palestine is now.”
At the same time, he stated that “this step is not a reward for Hamas, which has no role in a future Palestinian government” adding that the UK government plans to impose additional sanctions against the Islamic Resistance movement.
Starmer added that “the continued and escalating bombardment by the Israeli government of Gaza, the assault in recent weeks, and the famine and destruction are completely intolerable,” and condemned Israel’s settlement escalation in the occupied West Bank.
Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine. pic.twitter.com/yrg6Lywc1s
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) September 21, 2025
In response to these announcements, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the recognition of the state of Palestine is “giving a huge prize to terrorism” and added that “This will not happen. There will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan River.”
For his part, extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stated that the announcements of the recognition of a Palestinian state “require an immediate response by imposing full sovereignty over the West Bank and dismantling the Palestinian Authority.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized the four countries statements claiming that “The days when Britain and other countries determined our future are over. The only response to this hostile move is to link the West Bank to Israeli sovereignty and remove the idea of a Palestinian state from the agenda once and for all.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid stated that the “unilateral recognition a political disaster, a dangerous step, and a reward for terrorism,” adding that the Israeli government could have prevented these actions through diplomatic actions, blaming the government for the “worst security disaster in Israel’s history,” in addition to “the worst political crisis ever.”
