What does recognising a Palestinian state mean?

The UK, Australia and Canada have formally recognised a Palestinian state, while France and several other countries are expected to follow in the coming days.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that such moves would reward "Hamas's monstrous terrorism". The United States has also voiced strong opposition, reports BBC.

So, what does recognition mean, and what impact could it have?

A state that exists — and doesn't

Palestine holds a unique position in global politics. It enjoys widespread diplomatic recognition, has missions abroad, and even sends teams to international competitions like the Olympics.

But in reality, it has no agreed borders, no army, and no capital. The Palestinian Authority, created through peace agreements in the 1990s, does not fully control its territory due to Israel's military occupation of the West Bank. Meanwhile, Gaza is in the midst of a devastating war under Israeli occupation.

As a result, recognition is largely symbolic. It represents a moral and political statement rather than a change on the ground.

Still, the symbolism matters. Former UK foreign secretary David Lammy told the UN in July: "Britain bears a special burden of responsibility to support the two-state solution."

He cited the 1917 Balfour Declaration, in which the UK first backed a Jewish homeland in Palestine but also pledged that "nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine."

Critics of Israel argue that Britain never upheld this promise, leaving what Lammy described as "unfinished international business."

The two-state solution

For decades, global leaders have advocated a two-state solution: Israel and a Palestinian state coexisting side by side.

The idea envisions Palestine established in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital — territories Israel captured during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

But international efforts have failed, while Israel's settlement expansion in the West Bank — considered illegal under international law — has eroded the viability of such a solution.

Lammy remarked that politicians have become "accustomed to uttering the words 'a two-state solution'," but without tangible progress.

Who recognises Palestine?

Currently, about 75% of the UN's 193 member states recognise Palestine. At the UN, it holds the status of a "permanent observer state," which allows participation but not voting rights.

With Britain and France joining, four of the UN Security Council's five permanent members will officially back Palestinian statehood. China and Russia recognised it in 1988.

That leaves the US — Israel's strongest ally — as the only holdout among the five.

Why now?

Successive UK governments had long argued that recognition should come only at a decisive moment in peace talks. They feared a symbolic gesture would change little.

But recent events — images of mass suffering in Gaza, growing anger at Israel's military campaign, and mounting shifts in public opinion — have pushed governments to act.

US opposition

Washington has long supported the Palestinian Authority but not full statehood. The Trump administration tilted heavily toward Israel, and the current US stance appears even firmer.

At a recent press conference, the US president admitted to a "disagreement with the prime minister on that score" while acknowledging the issue was discussed during their meeting.

In June, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said the US no longer supports the creation of a Palestinian state. More recently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned recognition could embolden Hamas.

"We told them that it would lead to these sorts of reciprocal actions and that it would make a ceasefire [in Gaza] harder," Rubio said.

He also echoed Netanyahu's argument that recognition amounts to a "reward for terrorism," referencing the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023.