US calls allies’ recognition of Palestine ‘performative’.
The US has called the recognition of a Palestinian state by several key allies, including Britain, Australia, and Canada, “performative”.
“Our focus remains on serious diplomacy, not performative gestures. Our priorities are clear: the release of the hostages, the security of Israel, and peace and prosperity for the entire region,” a US State Department spokesperson said on Sunday on condition of anonymity, placing blame on Hamas.
The move followed a historic shift earlier in the day, when the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal formally recognised Palestine.
“In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and the two-state solution,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney proposed a partnership to create “a promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel”.
Other countries are expected to recognise Palestine at this year’s UNGA, including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Andorra, and San Marino, isolating Israel and, by extension, the United States.
‘Palestine state will not be established’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel’s response will be announced when he returns from the United States, where he is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump.
“And I have another message for you: It will not happen. A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River,” he said in a statement.
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Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right National Security Minister, urged the Israeli government to annex the occupied West Bank and carry out “a complete crushing of the Palestinian Authority”.
Ben-Gvir wrote on X that he would present a proposal for West Bank annexation at the upcoming Cabinet meeting.
Approximately three-quarters of UN member states already recognise Palestine, with Ireland, Spain, and Norway formalizing recognition last year.
