U.K. Signals It May Recognize Palestinian State After Gaza War
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – During a visit to Lebanon, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron stated achieving peace would be unattainable as long as Hamas controlled Gaza. However, he emphasized that offering Palestinians the opportunity for statehood was “absolutely vital for the long-term peace and security of the region.”
Last week, Worthy News reported on the “Biden Doctrine” and the steps the Biden Administration was taking to unilaterally recognize a demilitarized Palestinian State despite strong opposition to statehood within Israel.
Until recently, U.S. policy maintained that Palestinian statehood should be determined through negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. However, the Biden Administration’s move to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian State has been described as the “most significant strategic shift in the region since the 1979 Camp David Accords.”
Although 139 out of the 193 U.N. member states have recognized Palestine as an independent state, key nations such as the United States, United Kingdom, and other G7 countries, including Germany, Italy, and France, have yet to do so.
Since 2012, Palestine has held the status of a “non-member observer state” within the U.N.
The United Kingdom has consistently upheld a stance of not recognizing Palestinian statehood, opting to abstain from the 2012 U.N. General Assembly vote that awarded Palestine non-member observer status at the United Nations. Therefore, a shift towards recognition would represent a significant policy change for the U.K.
Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken began his tour of the Middle East by meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This meeting was part of Washington’s efforts to facilitate a normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Saudi Arabia has maintained that recognition of a Palestinian State was contingent on any agreement that could be made with Israel.
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