In a move that has sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles and deepened divides within the Western alliance, several major nations—France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal—have formally recognised the State of Palestine. The announcements, made on September 21, 2025, at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, mark a watershed moment in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and signal a growing rift between traditional allies over the path toward peace in the Middle East.
France was the first major US ally to make the leap, confirming its recognition of Palestinian statehood in July and pledging to formalise the decision at the UNGA. As the assembly opened, the UK, Canada, and Australia followed suit, with Portugal joining later that evening. The coordinated recognitions, the first by members of the influential Group of Seven (G7) economies, represent a dramatic break from longstanding Western policy, which had maintained that Palestinian statehood should emerge only from direct negotiations with Israel.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described Britain's move as an effort "to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution." He was quick to clarify that recognition was not a "reward" for Hamas, calling the group a "brutal terror organisation," and reiterated calls for a ceasefire and the release of hostages still held in Gaza. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney echoed the sentiment, stating, "Canada recognised Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future." Australia's Anthony Albanese added that the decision "acknowledges the legitimate and long-held aspirations of the people of Palestine to a state of their own."
Portugal's Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, speaking in New York, framed the decision as "the fulfilment of a fundamental, consistent, and widely agreed" policy. "Portugal advocates the two-state solution as the only path to a just and lasting peace, one that promotes coexistence and peaceful relations between Israel and Palestine," he said. Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas hailed the recognitions as "an important and necessary move towards a just peace," while a Hamas official called it a "victory for Palestinian rights," urging the international community to hold Israel accountable for "crimes against humanity."
The reaction from Israel was swift and furious. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video message on September 21, blasted the recognitions as "giving a huge reward to terrorism," vowing that "such a nation will not exist West of the Jordan River." He further declared, "A Palestinian state will not be established. The response to the latest attempt to impose on us a terror state in the heart of our land will be given after my return from the United States." Netanyahu has promised to clarify his position after meeting with US President Donald Trump, who remains opposed to unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Netanyahu also pointed to Israel's expanding presence in the West Bank, stating, "We have doubled Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and we will continue on this path." These settlements, considered illegal under international law (a claim Israel disputes), have long been a flashpoint in the conflict. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the Western moves "detrimental" to peace efforts and warned they would "embolden the forces of darkness." Some of Netanyahu's ministers, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir, demanded full annexation of the West Bank in response.
Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon dismissed the recognitions as "empty declarations" that ignore the realities on the ground. "No declaration of any country will change the simple fact that before everything the hostages must be returned and Hamas must be defeated," he asserted. The US, for its part, remains firmly opposed to the recognitions. President Donald Trump, after talks with Prime Minister Starmer, reiterated Washington's stance that Palestinian statehood should only be achieved through negotiations. French President Emmanuel Macron, while supportive in principle, has insisted that the release of hostages is a precondition before opening an embassy in Palestine.
The recognitions come at a time of immense suffering and upheaval in Gaza. The conflict between Israel and Hamas, which erupted on October 7, 2023, has dragged on for nearly two years. According to Gaza health authorities, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed, with vast swathes of the enclave reduced to rubble and famine gripping the population. On the day of the recognitions alone, Israeli strikes reportedly killed 32 people in Gaza City, as the Israeli military intensified its push to seize the city—one of Hamas’s last strongholds—displacing more than 550,000 people southward. Hamas’s initial attack killed roughly 1,150 Israelis and took 250 hostages, an assault widely condemned worldwide, including by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
France’s recognition of Palestine is particularly poignant, coming after 51 French nationals were killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and eight were taken hostage. In the aftermath, France banned pro-Palestinian protests, citing public order concerns, but some cities defiantly hoisted the Palestinian flag at their town halls. India, meanwhile, has recognised the Palestinian state since 1988 and maintains diplomatic ties, while Belgium and Luxembourg are expected to follow suit at the UNGA.
The UK’s decision is laden with historical resonance, given Britain’s role in the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which paved the way for Israel’s creation in 1948. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has acknowledged that Britain bears a "special burden of responsibility" for supporting a two-state solution. Domestically, Starmer’s government faces mounting public pressure, especially from younger Britons, to take a stand. A recent YouGov poll found two-thirds of Britons aged 18-25 support Palestinian recognition, and mass rallies in London have kept the issue in the public eye.
Despite the symbolic weight of these recognitions—three-quarters of UN member states (145 out of 193) now recognise Palestine—the practical impact remains uncertain. The key question of who will govern Gaza and the West Bank is unresolved, and Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has called the recognitions a "reward for terrorism," blaming Netanyahu’s government for Israel’s "worst diplomatic crisis" in decades. Some international activists argue that recognition alone is "horribly insufficient" and call for sanctions and arms embargoes to pressure Israel further.
Yet, for many Palestinians, the symbolism matters. As Salwa Mansour, a displaced Gazan, put it, "This recognition shows the world is starting to hear our voice—a moral victory, even amid pain and massacres." Another Gazan, Mohammed Abu Khousa, suggested the recognitions could "chip away at Israel's legitimacy and give our cause a new spark of hope," though skepticism remains in places like Ramallah, where residents point out that recognition has not stopped violence or settlement expansion.
As the UN General Assembly continues, the world watches to see whether this historic shift will translate into concrete progress—or whether it will remain, as some fear, a largely symbolic gesture in a conflict still searching for a path to peace.
