Canada to Recognize Palestinian State in September/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada will recognize a Palestinian state in September 2025, joining a growing list of Western nations pressing Israel over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The recognition is conditional and largely symbolic, but represents a shift in Canadian foreign policy. It reflects increasing international pressure over Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Canada Recognizes Palestinian State: Quick Looks
- Prime Minister Mark Carney to recognize Palestine at UN in September
- Recognition conditional on elections excluding Hamas and demilitarization
- Announcement follows similar pledges by France and the UK
- Move adds diplomatic pressure on Israel over Gaza crisis
- Over 140 countries already recognize Palestinian statehood
- Israel opposes recognition; calls Carney’s decision estranged diplomacy
- Carney says goal is to preserve two-state solution
- Over 60,000 Palestinians reported killed since October 2023
Deep Look: Canada to Recognize Palestinian State in Diplomatic Shift over Gaza Crisis
Canada will formally recognize a Palestinian state in September 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Wednesday, aligning with a growing movement among Western governments to increase pressure on Israel in response to the ongoing war and humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
Speaking from Ottawa after a Cabinet-level meeting, Carney said the recognition would be made during the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The move, while largely symbolic, reflects a meaningful shift in Canadian foreign policy that has long favored a negotiated peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.
“The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable,” Carney said, noting that his government had reached the decision after consultations with global allies, including recent conversations with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Conditional Recognition Based on Political Reform
Carney emphasized that Canada’s recognition is conditional. It requires the Palestinian Authority to hold general elections in 2026 in which Hamas would be barred from participating and that the future Palestinian state be demilitarized.
“Much has to happen before a democratic, viable state is established,” Carney acknowledged. “I’m not minimizing the scale of that task. But we must act to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution.”
Canada’s decision follows a recent announcement by France, which will also recognize a Palestinian state at the UN in September. France became the first G7 nation to do so, and the largest country in Europe to formally commit to Palestinian recognition in response to the Gaza crisis.
On Tuesday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared Britain would recognize Palestinian statehood unless Israel takes “substantive steps” to end the war in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire, and recommit to a two-state peace process.
Diplomatic Symbolism and International Pressure
More than 140 countries worldwide already recognize Palestine as a sovereign state. While Canada’s recognition won’t change the geopolitical landscape immediately, it adds to mounting diplomatic pressure on Israel amid global outrage over Gaza’s deteriorating conditions.
Carney said the purpose of recognition was not to isolate Israel, but to prevent the collapse of the two-state solution under the weight of continued violence, territorial settlements, and humanitarian suffering.
“We are working with international partners to ensure that deaths on the ground and settlements on the ground don’t permanently destroy the hope of peace,” he said.
Israel, however, rejected Canada’s position. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government opposes a two-state framework on nationalistic and security grounds.
Israeli Response: Fraying Ties
Following Carney’s announcement, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed, responded sharply, calling Canada a “dear friend, but currently an estranged friend.”
“Canada has stopped putting itself in Israel’s shoes,” Moed said. “There is a lack of global understanding of the hostages still held by Hamas and the scale of the terrorist infrastructure we face.”
Moed argued that any recognition of Palestinian statehood, especially while Hamas remains influential in Gaza, only emboldens terrorism and rewards continued violence.
The War’s Ongoing Toll
The Israel-Hamas war began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. Around 50 hostages remain, including 20 believed to be alive.
Since then, Israel’s military response has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. While the Ministry is run by Hamas, United Nations agencies continue to treat it as the most reliable source of casualty data.
At least 89 children have died of malnutrition since the conflict began, according to humanitarian organizations. Israel denies there is famine in Gaza and claims that Hamas intercepts aid and food supplies. Aid groups and UN reports, however, contradict that assertion.
U.S. Response: No Change on Recognition
In Washington, a White House official said President Donald Trump’s stance remains unchanged. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump is focused on increasing humanitarian aid rather than recognizing Palestinian statehood.
“As the President has said, recognizing Palestine now would reward Hamas,” the official stated. “He does not support that outcome.”
Trump has instead directed efforts toward providing food assistance to Gaza through vetted international partners, while opposing any diplomatic moves he believes would undermine Israel’s security.
Looking Ahead
As global outrage over the humanitarian conditions in Gaza continues to build, Canada’s decision marks a pivotal moment in the debate over Palestinian sovereignty. Though symbolic, the move reflects a growing sentiment among Western allies that current Israeli policies are undermining peace prospects and humanitarian values.
Whether Canada’s recognition will influence future negotiations remains uncertain. However, it sends a strong diplomatic message: without tangible steps toward peace, more governments may begin aligning recognition with accountability.
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