Canada has expressed its willingness to recognize a Palestinian state, but has made it conditional on a few key conditions.
The development comes as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that his government intends to recognize Palestine as a full-fledged state during the September session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Mark Carney’s announcement is being seen as a major shift in Canadian foreign policy, which the Prime Minister has described as indispensable for practical progress towards a two-state solution in the Middle East. He said that in the past, Canada had hoped that the establishment of a Palestinian state would be possible through bilateral negotiations, but current circumstances have made this path ineffective.
The Prime Minister said that he had a detailed telephone conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and in this context, Canada has decided that if the Palestinian Authority guarantees the necessary reforms, then Palestine will be recognized as a state during the 80th session of the General Assembly in September.
He further explained that Canada’s support is conditional on the expected reform measures by the Palestinian Authority. The most prominent of these reforms is the holding of free and fair general elections without Hamas in 2026, which the Canadian government considers a positive step towards Palestinian democracy.
Prime Minister Carney also openly criticized Israel’s policies and said that Canada condemns the fact that the Israeli government has paved the way for the terrible destruction in Gaza, which is a serious violation of human rights.
It should be remembered that before Canada, France and the United Kingdom have also conditionally supported the recognition of Palestine as a state. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced after an emergency cabinet meeting a few days ago that the United Kingdom will recognize a Palestinian state in September if Israel does not show willingness to cease hostilities in Gaza, stop occupying the West Bank, and accept a two-state solution.
Similarly, French President Emmanuel Macron has already announced that France will formally announce its recognition of Palestine as an independent state during his address to the United Nations General Assembly in September. This international trend is being seen as a potential milestone towards resolving the conflict in the Middle East.
