Several Western nations officially recognized a Palestinian state for the first time ahead of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which began on Monday. On Sunday, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Portugal announced their recognition. France joined them on Monday, meaning approximately three-quarters of U.N. member states now recognize Palestine as a nation.
French President Emmanuel Macron defended the decision in an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, saying, “recognizing a Palestinian state today is the only way to provide a political solution to a situation which has to stop.”
Following its formal recognition, the United Kingdom also opened a Palestinian embassy in London in what was previously the Palestine Mission to the U.K. A Palestinian flag-raising ceremony was held Monday outside the new embassy.
“Please join me as we raise the flag of Palestine with its colors representing our nation: Black for our mourning, white for our hope, green for our land and red for the sacrifices of our people,” Palestinian Ambassador to the U.K. Husam Zomlot said at the ceremony.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday called for a two-state solution in a statement that said, “The current Israeli government is working methodically to prevent the prospect of a Palestinian state from ever being established. It has pursued an unrelenting policy of settlement expansion in the West Bank, which is illegal under international law. Its sustained assault in Gaza has killed tens of thousands of civilians, displaced well over one million people, and caused a devastating and preventable famine in violation of international law.”
