Canada to Recognise Palestine as State in September: Carney

Ottawa (Quds News Network)- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that his country plans to formally recognise Palestine during the UN general assembly in September, after France and the UK made similar announcements.

On Wednesday evening, Carney said Canada would recognise the state of Palestine at the UN general assembly in September if certain conditions were met. He held a virtual cabinet meeting on the Middle East earlier on Wednesday.

He explained that Ottawa had hoped that a two-state solution could be achieved through a negotiated peace process, but that approach was “no longer tenable”.

“Canada intends to recognise the State of Palestine at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025,” Carney told reporters.

The move follows a similar announcement by the United Kingdom and France earlier this month.

France and 14 other countries co-signed a declaration that pointed towards a wave of future recognitions of an independent Palestinian state.

The New York Call, published by the French foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, on Wednesday, said signatories “have already recognised, have expressed or express the willingness or the positive consideration of our countries to recognise the State of Palestine”.

The signatories include Andorra, Australia, Canada, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Portugal and San Marino, each of which has not yet recognised an independent Palestinian state. They also include Iceland, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Slovenia and Spain, which have.

The statement, which was published before the conclusion of a three-day UN conference set on reviving a two-state solution to the Israeli occupation of Palestine said the states would “reiterate our unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-state solution.” It stressed the “importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority”.

US President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that it would be difficult to make a trade deal with Canada after Carney’s announcement. Canada and the US are working on negotiating a trade deal by 1 August, the date Trump is threatening to impose a 35% tariff on all Canadian goods not covered by a prior trade agreement.

Trump also condemned the UK’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state, saying onboard Air Force One that “you could make the case that you’re rewarding Hamas if you do that. I don’t think they should be rewarded. So I’m not in that camp, to be honest … because if you do that you are really rewarding Hamas. And I’m not about to do that.”

The plans of recognition come amid growing pressure on Israel to end its ongoing genocide in Gaza, which began in October 2023. More than 60,000 people have been killed so far, the majority children and women.

Malta also announced it will recognise Palestine as a state during the UN general assembly meeting. Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Tuesday, “Our position reflects our commitment to efforts for a lasting peace in the Middle East.”

Last year, amid Israel’s assault on Gaza, nine countries – Armenia, Slovenia, Ireland, Norway, Spain, the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados – formally recognised the State of Palestine, reflecting growing international support.

Currently, at least 146 UN member states recognise the State of Palestine.