10
Loading video...
By Gabe Whisnant and Sonam Sheth
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country will recognize a Palestinian state in September, but U.S. President Donald Trump does not intend to follow suit, with a White House official telling Newsweek: "As the President stated, he would be rewarding Hamas if he recognizes a Palestinian state, and he doesn't think they should be rewarded. So he is not going to do that. President Trump's focus is on getting people fed."
Why It Matters
Carney's announcement makes Canada the third G7 nation in recent days to say it plans to recognize Palestinian statehood in September. The leaders of France and the United Kingdom also made statements in the last week announcing their intent to recognize it.
Read More on Politics
Though these announcements are largely symbolic, they signify a broader shift in global sentiment regarding Israel's ongoing and devastating war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and renewed concerns in recent days of widespread starvation throughout the Israeli-controlled territory.
Human-rights groups around the globe, including Israel's B'Tselem, have accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied that his forces are carrying out a "deliberate" strategy of starving the Gazan population. His government also rejects a two-state solution on nationalistic and security grounds.
...
What to Know
"Canada will always steadfastly support Israel's existence as an independent state in the Middle East, living in peace and security," Carney said during a news conference on Wednesday. "Any path to lasting peace for Israel also requires a viable and stable Palestinian state and one that recognizes Israel's inalienable right to security."
Carney said Canada's recognition of a Palestinian state will hinge on the Palestinian Authority "holding general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarize the Palestinian state."
The possibility of the condition being fulfilled remains unclear, as it's highly unlikely an election will take place in the besieged Gaza Strip next year.
Carney's announcement followed a similar one from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who announced on Tuesday that the U.K. will also recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel meets specific conditions related to its actions in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Trump told reporters that while he did "not mind [Starmer] taking a position" on Palestinian statehood, the U.S. was not in the U.K.'s camp and would not be following its lead.
More than 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state, including about a dozen European nations.
Netanyahu blasted Starmer on Tuesday over the U.K.'s decision, saying it "rewards Hamas' monstrous terrorism" and "punishes its victims."
The Israeli leader added: "Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you, too. It will not happen."
What People Are Saying
Carney said on Wednesday, in part: Canada is working "to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution, to not allow the facts on the ground, deaths on the ground, the settlements on the ground, the expropriations on the ground, to get to such an extent that this is not possible."
Iddo Moed, Israel's ambassador to Canada, said in a statement Wednesday: Israel "will not bow to the distorted campaign of international pressure against it."
Moed added: "We will not sacrifice our very existence by permitting the imposition of a jihadist state on our ancestral homeland that seeks our annihilation."
What Happens Next
Canada will recognize Palestinian statehood at the U.N. General Assembly meeting in September pending the Palestinian Authority committing to holding elections next year.
Update 7/30/25, 8:12 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines