Canada Officially Recognizes State of Palestine Amid Push for Two-State Solution

Ottawa, The Gulf Observer: Canada has formally recognized the State of Palestine, joining an expanding group of countries in an international effort to preserve the prospect of a two-state solution for lasting peace in the Middle East.

In a comprehensive statement released on Sunday, the Canadian government reaffirmed its decades-long support for the creation of a sovereign, democratic, and viable Palestinian state living peacefully alongside Israel. The move, Ottawa said, aligns with Canada’s consistent policy since 1947 and reflects principles of self-determination and fundamental human rights under the UN Charter.

The government underscored that recognition comes in response to growing threats to the viability of a two-state solution, citing the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, ongoing terrorism, accelerated settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, settler violence, and Israeli government actions such as the E1 Settlement Plan and recent Knesset votes calling for annexation.

While condemning Hamas for terrorizing Israelis and oppressing Palestinians, Ottawa stressed that recognition “in no way legitimises terrorism, nor is it any reward for it.” Instead, the government emphasized that recognition strengthens moderate actors, particularly the Palestinian Authority, which has pledged reforms including holding general elections in 2026, implementing governance reforms, and ensuring Hamas has no role in future governance.

Canada also sharply criticized the current Israeli government’s settlement expansion and military campaign in Gaza, accusing it of undermining peace efforts and contributing to a humanitarian disaster. “It is now the avowed policy of the current Israeli government that ‘there will be no Palestinian state,’” the statement noted.

At the same time, the government reiterated its “steadfast support” for Israel and its security, stressing that true security for both Israelis and Palestinians can only be guaranteed through a comprehensive two-state solution.

Canada pledged to work with international partners to support the Palestinian Authority’s reform agenda, the development of democratic governance, and the sustained delivery of large-scale humanitarian aid to Gaza.