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<blockquote><div class="quotetitle">Quote from <a class="profile-link highlight-moderator" href="https://lawguide.co.ke/understanding-law/legal-forum/profile/lawyer/">Lawyer</a> on September 22, 2025, 6:05 am</div><div id="pl-7961"  class="panel-layout" ><div id="pg-7961-0"  class="panel-grid panel-no-style" ><div id="pgc-7961-0-0"  class="panel-grid-cell"  data-weight="1" ><div id="panel-7961-0-0-0" class="so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child" data-index="0" data-style="{&quot;background_image_attachment&quot;:false,&quot;background_display&quot;:&quot;tile&quot;,&quot;background_image_size&quot;:&quot;full&quot;,&quot;background_image_opacity&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;border_thickness&quot;:&quot;1px&quot;}" ><div
			
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	<p dir="auto">In a dramatic escalation of diplomatic momentum toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, four prominent Western nations – the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal – announced their formal recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state on Sunday. This coordinated move, timed just before the high-level segment of the United Nations General Assembly, marks a significant departure from decades of Western hesitation and aligns these countries with a global majority already supporting Palestinian statehood. The decision comes amid the protracted Gaza war, now nearing its second anniversary, and reflects growing international frustration with stalled peace efforts and the humanitarian crisis in the occupied territories.</p>
<p dir="auto">The announcements were made in rapid succession over the weekend. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled Britain's recognition in a video statement from London, emphasizing that it affirms Palestinian statehood along provisional borders based on the 1967 lines, with equal land swaps to be negotiated in the future. "This is not an end in itself," Starmer said. "It is a step toward a two-state solution that delivers security and dignity for both Israelis and Palestinians." He underscored the UK's commitment to proscribing and sanctioning Hamas, the militant group controlling Gaza, while directing further measures against its leaders.</p>
<p dir="auto">Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney echoed this sentiment in a post on X, stating, "Canada recognizes the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel." Carney had signaled the intent in July, linking it to the need for progress at the UN General Assembly. Australia's government followed suit, framing the recognition as a push for a viable two-state outcome amid the ongoing violence. Portugal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed its declaration earlier in the day, with Prime Minister Luis Montenegro having consulted parliament and the president beforehand. Speaking from Portugal's UN mission in New York, a spokesperson affirmed, "Portugal advocates the two-state solution as the only path to a just and lasting peace, and a ceasefire is urgent."</p>
<p dir="auto">These actions bring the total number of United Nations member states recognizing Palestine to 151 out of 193, representing over three-quarters of the global body. Prior to this weekend, 147 countries had extended diplomatic recognition, a figure that had held steady since spring despite sporadic additions. The new recognitions tip the scales further, isolating holdouts like the United States, Germany, Italy, and Japan – all key allies of Israel – who maintain that statehood should emerge only from comprehensive negotiations, not unilateral declarations.</p>
<p dir="auto">The list of countries recognizing Palestine as a state now encompasses a broad coalition spanning continents and ideologies. It includes nearly all members of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, such as Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen, which were among the earliest backers following the 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence. In Africa, the majority of nations have long supported the cause, including Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. South American countries form another strong bloc, with Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela all on board.</p>
<p dir="auto">In Asia, recognition is widespread, led by powerhouses like China, India, Indonesia, Japan (wait, no – Japan does not; correction in synthesis: actually from sources, Japan is a holdout), wait – accurate: China, India, Indonesia, Japan is holdout, but Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and South Korea (South Korea does recognize). From synthesis: Key Asian recognizers include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam.</p>
<p dir="auto">European supporters number 13 within NATO and more broadly in the EU, including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and now the UK and Portugal. Other Europeans like Iceland, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, and Ukraine also recognize it. In North America, only Canada joins now, while the US abstains.</p>
<p dir="auto">Oceania features Australia alongside earlier recognizers like New Zealand (planning). Smaller states and others round out the list, such as the Holy See (Vatican), which holds a unique confessional stance.</p>
<p dir="auto">This surge in recognitions traces back to the 1988 proclamation by Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat, which initially drew support from 78 countries by year's end. The Oslo Accords of 1993 and 1995 established the Palestinian Authority as an interim self-governing body but stopped short of statehood, leaving the issue unresolved. Palestine gained non-member observer state status at the UN in 2012, yet full membership remains blocked, largely by US vetoes in the Security Council.</p>
<p dir="auto">The timing of these announcements is no coincidence. They precede a high-level conference on the two-state solution, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia on Monday and backed by 142 UN members – notably without US participation. France, the first G7 nation to endorse unconditional recognition in late July, is expected to formalize its stance during the event, potentially joined by Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, and others like Andorra and San Marino. French President Emmanuel Macron has tied the move to Palestinian Authority reforms and a post-war Gaza governance plan, while denouncing Israel's recent ground offensive in Gaza City as "absolutely unacceptable."</p>
<p dir="auto">Palestinian officials hailed the developments as a breakthrough. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, addressing the UNGA via video after a US visa denial, expressed "thanks and appreciation" for the growing support. Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian envoy to the UK, described the UK's step as placing the two parties on "equal footing," opening doors to strategic partnerships and measures like banning settlement products. Hamas, from Gaza, welcomed it as an affirmation of Palestinian rights but demanded "practical measures" for an immediate war end. West Bank Mayor Mohammed Jarrar of Jenin called it confirmation of Palestinian possession of a state, even under occupation.</p>
<p dir="auto">Israel's response was swift and scathing. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labeled the recognitions a "huge reward to terrorism," referencing Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 and took 251 hostages, sparking the Gaza war. "There will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan River," he declared on X, vowing a response upon his US return. Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir proposed cabinet application of sovereignty over the West Bank, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged ending the "foolish idea" of Palestinian statehood. Israel launched strikes on Gaza City Sunday, killing over 40, per reports, as displaced Palestinians fled amid a starvation crisis from aid blockades.</p>
<p dir="auto">The US, Israel's closest ally, offered no immediate comment but has historically opposed premature recognition, with President Donald Trump voicing disagreement during recent talks. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce previously called similar initiatives a "slap in the face" to October 7 victims and a boost to Hamas propaganda. Secretary of State Marco Rubio deemed France's plan "reckless."</p>
<p dir="auto">Experts view these steps as largely symbolic – they do not alter borders, grant UN voting rights, or end the occupation – but potent in shifting narratives. As one analyst noted, they rebuke both Hamas's maximalism and Israeli expansionism in the West Bank, where settlements deemed illegal under international law continue to grow. The International Court of Justice has affirmed Palestinian self-determination rights, yet ground realities persist: over 60,000 Gazan deaths, including 18,500 children, and 251 hostages, with locations tracked amid ongoing assaults.</p>
<p dir="auto">With the UNGA underway, eyes turn to whether this wave will pressure negotiations or deepen divides. For Palestinians, it is a rare victory in a century-long quest; for the region, a fragile hope amid unrelenting conflict. As Starmer put it, the path forward demands "security and dignity for both sides" – a balance yet to be struck.</p>
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