In the run-up to the opening of the 80th UN General Assembly session, Australia, Britain, Canada, and France, among others, announced their support for the recognition of Palestinian statehood. More than 150 countries now recognize Palestine, with only a handful such as the US, a few European states, South Korea, and Japan not recognizing it. This flurry of recognition prompted Israel to call it “a huge reward to terrorism.” The UK and France’s decision is particularly significant, making four of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council supporters, with the US as the sole exception. While the move carries limited legal relevance due to strong opposition from Washington and Tel Aviv, many observers see it as a political signal to salvage the two-state solution amid the ongoing war in Gaza that is nearing a two-year mark. The recognition does not confer new UN privileges or membership in other intergovernmental institutions to Palestine.
Recognition of a state is primarily a political act. It signals support for Palestinian self-determination, although key elements of statehood such as defined borders, unified governance, and full sovereignty remain absent in Palestine. Observers note that this wide recognition after decades of Western hesitation signals that the Western consensus on the US-Israeli position is eroding and suggests an end to the diplomatic impunity Israel has long enjoyed. Recognition does not halt Israeli operations in Gaza but undermines Israel’s legitimacy at the international level. However, some analysts view it with skepticism and describe it as performative rather than bringing tangible improvements for Palestinians.
Ahead of a summit organized by France and Saudi Arabia to support Palestinian statehood, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on 21 September that “a Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River.” In his UN General Assembly address, he called the recognition “sheer madness,” promised “we won’t do it,” and described the recognition by other countries as disgraceful. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump “disagrees” with the recognition and considers it a reward to Hamas, whose assault on Israel on 7 October 2023 triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon added that declarations recognizing Palestine “do not advance anything” and emphasized that defeating Hamas and ending the war requires “sustained pressure and activities on the ground by the State of Israel” and not “performative speeches at the UN.”
International law makes it clear that recognition does not automatically create a state. Some, such as Franco-British law professor Philippe Sands, describe it as a game changer. He notes that recognizing Palestinian statehood puts Palestine and Israel on level footing under international law. While recognition alone cannot end the conflict or immediately improve conditions on the ground, it signals a shift in
international consensus and may create diplomatic pressure for renewed peace negotiations.