Britain Recognizes Palestinian State After 108 Years, Breaking with U.S. Policy.

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Three Western Powers Break with U.S., Formally Recognize Palestinian State

UK, Canada and Australia Make Historic Move Despite American and Israeli Opposition

In a historic diplomatic shift, three major Western allies of the United States—Britain, Canada, and Australia—formally recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday, marking a significant departure from decades of policy and breaking sharply with American opposition to such recognition.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer officially announced that the UK “formally recognises the State of Palestine,” joining over 150 countries that have already taken this step. The move reverses “decades of unwillingness to accept Palestinians as a sovereign nation until their conflict with Israel was permanently settled.”

Historic Context and British Involvement

The recognition comes 108 years after Britain’s pivotal role in Middle Eastern history began. British forces captured Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire in 1917, and by 1922, the League of Nations had granted Britain an international mandate to administer Palestine during the post-World War I reorganization of the Middle East.

In his letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Starmer acknowledged this complex history, noting that while London had supported the establishment of a Jewish homeland in 1917, it had also pledged to protect the rights of non-Jewish communities in the region.

Palestinian and International Response

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the recognition, stating it would help pave the way for the “State of Palestine to live side by side with the State of Israel in security, peace, and good neighbourliness.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized that his country’s decision would “empower those seeking peaceful co-existence and the end of Hamas,” adding firmly that “this in no way legitimises terrorism, nor is it any reward for it.”

At the Palestinian Mission headquarters in London, which may now be upgraded to embassy status, officials celebrated the announcement. Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK, described the moment as one where “the British government, on behalf of their people, stand and say: ‘We must correct history, we must right the wrongs.'”

Opposition and Criticism

The United States, Israel’s closest ally, has not yet commented on the recognition by three of its key partners. President Donald Trump has previously made clear his opposition to Palestinian statehood recognition.

Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded by stating he would propose that the cabinet apply sovereignty to the West Bank, another Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory—a move that would represent de facto annexation of land seized in the 1967 war.

Mandy Damari, the British mother of released British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari, criticized Starmer’s decision, telling Reuters that the Prime Minister was “under a two-state delusion” given that Hamas still controls Gaza and remains committed to Israel’s destruction. “He is rewarding Hamas for the 7th October barbaric and savage attack on Israel when the hostages are still not back, the war is not over and Hamas are still in power in Gaza,” she said.

Public Reaction

British public opinion remains divided on the issue. Michael Angus, a 56-year-old charity director in London, expressed cautious optimism: “A whole lot needs to happen and peace needs to come to that region. This is the first step in actually acknowledging that those people have a right to have somewhere to call home.”

Growing International Pressure

The recognition comes amid mounting pressure on Western governments from both political parties and populations increasingly concerned about the rising death toll in Gaza, images of humanitarian suffering, and their governments’ continued arms support to Israel despite their inability to moderate Israeli military actions.

The UK, Canada, and France are positioned to become “the first G7 members to recognize a Palestinian” state, marking a significant diplomatic realignment among major Western powers.

This coordinated recognition represents one of the most significant diplomatic developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent years, potentially reshaping international approaches to Middle East peace efforts while creating new tensions with traditional allies.