Britain, Canada and Australia announced Sunday that they are formally recognizing Palestine as a state, a dramatic shift that breaks with decades of policy and puts them at odds with the United States only days after President Donald Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government would join France and Canada in recognizing Palestine at the United Nations this week, reversing years of reluctance to take such a step before a negotiated settlement with Israel. Starmer has faced mounting pressure from the British public and within his Labour Party to take a stronger stand against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also announced their countries’ recognition of a Palestinian state. The three nations, among Israel’s closest Western allies, are the first members of the G-7 to extend recognition.
The move reflects how the violence and upheaval since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel have shifted once-static diplomatic positions.
Britain’s decision carries particular weight given its role in the region during the early 20th century, when it administered what is now Israel and the Palestinian territories under a League of Nations mandate. Successive British governments had resisted recognition, urging a two-state solution to emerge from negotiations instead.
But Israel’s siege in Gaza and recent steps away from talks, combined with mass pro-Palestinian demonstrations in U.K. cities, prompted the change. More than one-third of Starmer’s Cabinet supported the move, and over 130 Labour lawmakers signed a letter backing recognition.
Israel, along with Trump and other U.S. officials, denounced the decision, calling it a reward for Hamas. The group’s Oct. 7 attack killed about 2,000 Israelis and displaced tens of thousands.
Starmer, speaking alongside Trump at a London news conference Thursday, defended his decision, saying recognition was essential to address the “intolerable” destruction in Gaza and to steer the conflict back toward a sustainable settlement.
