Ten nations move to recognise Palestine as fears grow Israel may retaliate with West Bank annexation
For decades, Britain, Canada and Australia resisted calls to recognise a Palestinian state. On Sunday, that stance collapsed. In a coordinated manoeuvre, the three countries formally recognised Palestine, becoming the first G7 nations to do so. Portugal quickly followed, while Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand and Liechtenstein are poised to make the same announcement at a special UN conference in New York.
The decisions mark a dramatic shift in Western diplomacy. For years, recognition had been left to the global south and Arab world. Now, a group of Israel’s closest allies are signalling that the two-state solution must be kept alive, even as Benjamin Netanyahu’s government presses ahead with settlement building in the West Bank and intensifies its Gaza offensive.
British prime minister Keir Starmer said: “In the face of the growing horrors in the Middle East we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and a two-state solution. That means a safe and secure Israel, alongside a viable Palestinian state. At the moment we have neither.”
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney struck a similar note, writing on X that Canada “offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future”. Australia’s Anthony Albanese added that his government recognised the “legitimate and long-held aspirations of the people of Palestine to a state of their own”.
Portugal’s foreign minister Paulo Rangel insisted recognition was a “constant line” of national policy, describing it as the only path to a “just and lasting peace”. Like others, he made clear that Hamas could not play any role in a future Palestinian state and demanded the immediate release of hostages still held in Gaza.
The move, driven in part by French diplomacy and backed by Saudi Arabia, comes with risks. Diplomats fear Israel could retaliate by annexing swathes of the West Bank, particularly the strategic E1 corridor east of Jerusalem. That step, critics say, would cut Palestinian territory in two, destroy the geographic basis for a state, and trigger unprecedented European sanctions—including the possibility of suspending Israel from the UN.
The United States has condemned the wave of recognitions as “performative”. A State Department spokesperson insisted Washington’s focus remained on “serious diplomacy, the release of the hostages, and the security of Israel”. The US, along with Israel, has boycotted preparatory meetings for Monday’s UN conference.
UN secretary general António Guterres urged states to stand firm, warning that threats of annexation should not derail momentum. Emmanuel Macron, identified by Israel as the driving force behind the surge, told Israeli media: “The approach of your government is to destroy the possibility of a two-state solution. The world is at the last minute before that vision becomes impossible.”
Macron insisted recognition was not a gift to Hamas. “The terrorist group wants an Islamic state and the destruction of Israel. Recognition of Palestine is the opposite—it entrenches the two-state principle.” His broader plan envisages a reformed Palestinian Authority taking over Gaza once Hamas is disarmed, backed by an international security force and new elections.
Israel’s government has rejected the proposals outright. Netanyahu reportedly told Macron he would only consider talks if Paris abandoned its recognition stance. France refused, warning that Israel’s current operations in Gaza, with high civilian casualties, were corroding its global standing.
Meanwhile, ministers privately admit domestic pressure is also shaping decisions. Anger at Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, mounting civilian deaths and plans for new settlements have inflamed public opinion across Europe. For many governments, the risk of political backlash outweighed the fear of Israeli reprisals.
Whether recognition changes realities on the ground remains uncertain. Without Israeli consent or US backing, a Palestinian state is still far from materialising. Yet Sunday’s announcements represent a diplomatic earthquake—proof that even Israel’s closest allies are no longer willing to accept endless war without a horizon of peace.