Canada Moves to Recognise Palestinian State by September, Joins France, UK in Diplomacy Shift
As Canadian Prime Minister announces Canada’s decision to officially recognise the State of Palestine by September, Carney has maintained that the North America countriy's foreign policy was not influenced by other G7 nations but marks an independent decision
By: Olufemi Orunsola
Canada is set to become the third G7 nation to make a major ddiplomatic policy shift on Palestine within the last week following the announcement by Prime Minister Mark Carney mid week that Canada will officially recognise the State of Palestine in September.
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that Carney announced that the recognition will however be contingent on democratic reforms within the Palestinian Authority (PA), including the holding of national elections next year, excluding participation by Hamas.
Carney, who made the disclosure at a press briefing said, "The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable and rapidly deteriorating. The expansion of Israeli settlements and the erosion of Palestinian statehood can no longer be ignored.”
OTN News reports that earlier in the week, the UK has also announced that it plans to recognise Palestine by September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire and other diplomatic conditions just like France, which belled the cat by making its position on recognition of State of Palestine last week.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the decision, calling it “a reward for Hamas," warning it would harm efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of hostages still held since Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack.
Carney’s announcement has attracted political backlashes from both Isreal and the Conservative opposition who have accused the prime minister of sending “the wrong message to the world” by recognising a Palestinian state in the wake of the October 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages.
However, Carney stressed that Canada’s recognition will depend on a commitment from the PA to reform its governance structures and pursue demilitarisation.
The Canadian PM insisted that he had personally discussed the conditions with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas earlier in the day.
Carney’s policy shift is coming at a time when nearly 200 former Canadian diplomats and ambassadors signed an open letter this week urging the government to recognise Palestinian statehood, citing the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and “violent attacks by extremist settlers” in the West Bank.
“The principles Canada claims to uphold are being abandoned daily,” the letter reads, referencing the starvation, displacement, and bombardment facing Palestinian civilians.
Meanwhile, contrary to notions that his policy shift was influenced by consultation with other G7 countries,
Carney has maintained that Canada’s foreign policy remains independent of other nations, saying, “We make decisions in line with our values and the urgency of the moment.”
The Palestinian Authority, led by the Fatah party, governs parts of the West Bank, while Hamas controls Gaza.
No general election has been held in either territory since 2006. Carney’s announcement puts pressure on the PA to demonstrate a credible path toward democracy and reform to secure Canadian support.
According to the UN, 147 of its 193 member states already recognise Palestinian statehood.
The United States, Israel’s closest ally and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has not indicated any immediate plans to follow suit, leaving it increasingly isolated among Western powers as diplomatic momentum gathers around the recognition of a Palestinian state.
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