Canada, Luxembourg, and Portugal officially announced their recognition of the State of Palestine on Monday during the high-level international conference on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution.
The conference began Monday evening in New York City, amid anticipation of further recognition of the independent, sovereign State of Palestine.
A large number of UN member states, as well as international and regional organizations, participated in the conference, which was co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced his country’s recognition of the State of Palestine, noting that while recognizing a Palestinian state is not a magic solution, it still acknowledges their right to self-determination.
He explained that the Netanyahu government is systematically working to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and continues its relentless settlement expansion, emphasizing that Israel is violating international law.
“We want to give peace and the two-state solution a chance,” Carney said, and stressed that recognizing a Palestinian state is not a legalization of terrorism and is not a compromise on Israel’s security.
The Canadian Prime Minister said that “All Canadian governments have supported the two-state solution, and we have been committed to that for decades.”
“Hamas must release all hostages, disarm, and not play any future role in governing Palestine,” he added.
Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden also announced his country’s recognition of the Palestinian state, adding that “Recognizing Palestine is not a reward for violence, and we condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities of October 7.”
“True and lasting peace is built step by step, brick by brick,” he explained.
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also announced his official recognition of the Palestinian state on Monday evening, stating that the two-state solution is the only way to achieve peace.
During his speech at the New York Conference on the two-state solution, De Sousa stressed, “We are committed to achieving peace in the Middle East.”
