Canada said on Wednesday that it would join with Britain and recognize Palestine as a state unless Israel agrees to a cease-fire with Hamas, intensifying the pressure to stop a war that is pushing Gaza to the brink of famine.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Canada will formally recognize Palestine during the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Mr. Carney said that the recognition was contingent on several commitments made by the Palestinian Authority including the exclusion of Hamas from any government, the return of hostages to Israel and the holding of elections next year.
After France said last week that it would recognize Palestinian statehood, Mr. Carney reiterated his party’s long-running endorsement of a two-state solution with “a free and viable Palestine living in peace and side-by-side in peace and security with Israel.”
At the United Nations on Monday, Anita Anand, Canada’s foreign minister, said that her country would give the Palestinian Authority 10 million Canadian dollars, about $7.2 million, to help lay the foundation for an independent state.
Mr. Carney made his announcement following a call with Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain on Tuesday in which the two leaders discussed “the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza, as well as the United Kingdom’s statement on the recognition of a Palestinian state,” Mr. Carney’s office said in a statement.
France’s recognition of Palestine is intended to go into effect in September regardless of Israel’s actions. Britain did not go as far, and will withhold recognition if Israel agrees to a cease-fire.
Before Mr. Carney spoke on Wednesday, Canada’s foreign affairs department issued a joint statement from 15 countries, including France, Australia and Ireland, calling on other nations to either recognize the state of Palestine or “express the willingness or the positive consideration” of its statehood before the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Since he became prime minister in the spring, Mr. Carney, the leader of the Liberal Party, has ratcheted up Canada’s criticisms of Israel’s actions in Gaza and repeatedly condemned the humanitarian crisis there.
The decision to recognize Palestine as a state will almost certainly strain relations with Israel and the United States. Mr. Carney’s government is currently in trade talks with the Trump administration that, should they fail, could lead to increased tariffs as soon as Friday.
The decision to recognize Palestinian statehood will also likely be divisive domestically. During the recent Canadian election, the Conservative Party, campaigned on a platform that strongly endorsed the policies and actions of Israel in Gaza under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It also promised to deport foreign citizens who participated in pro-Palestine demonstrations.
Ian Austen reports on Canada for The Times based in Ottawa. He covers politics, culture and the people of Canada and has reported on the country for two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
The post Canada to Recognize Palestinian State at the U.N. General Assembly appeared first on New York Times.
