Canada says it will recognise Palestine as a state

Canada intends to recognise the Palestinian state, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday.

Ottawa will formally recognise Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

The prime minister said that while Canada had for long supported a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine dispute, the “approach is no longer tenable”.

The prospect for a two-state solution had “steadily and gravely eroded” because of Palestinian militant group Hamas’ “pervasive threat” to Israelis and its rejection of Israel’s right to exist.

The approach had also been hurt by the accelerated settlements by Israel in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the Israeli parliament’s call to annex the West Bank and Tel Aviv’s failure to prevent the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, Carney said in a statement.

“Preserving a two-state solution means standing with all people who choose peace over violence or terrorism, and honouring their innate desire for the peaceful co-existence of Israeli and Palestinian states as the only roadmap for a secure and prosperous future,” he said.

Carney said that the recognition of Palestine was based on assurances by the Palestinian Authority that it will carry out governance reforms and hold an election in 2026 in which Hamas “can play no part”.

The Palestinian Authority represents the State of Palestine at the UN.

Ottawa said that Hamas must immediately...

Read more