Israel faces heat amid push for Palestinian statehood

The State of Palestine and the rest of the Arab world have welcomed the formal recognition from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal amid objections from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as his military barrels through Gaza City.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hailed the decision by the four Western countries as "an important and necessary step toward achieving a just and lasting peace based on international legitimacy".

He said the recognition "paves the way for implementing the two-state solution, enabling the State of Palestine to live side by side with the state of Israel in security, peace, and good neighborliness".

Abbas emphasized that his priorities are securing a ceasefire, bringing in humanitarian aid, releasing all hostages and prisoners, ensuring Israel's full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, enabling the State of Palestine to assume its full responsibilities, moving toward recovery and reconstruction, and halting settlement activity and settler violence.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit welcomed the series of international recognitions for Palestine, describing them as "historic" and saying that they all constitute tangible diplomatic momentum toward the realization of a Palestinian state.

He noted that more than 150 countries have now recognized Palestine.

"The British recognition of Palestine is particularly significant, given the United Kingdom's role in the establishment of Israel after World War I, and represents a correction of historical errors that have caused decades of suffering for the Palestinian people," said Aboul-Gheit.

During his meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the high-level meeting of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, Aboul-Gheit stressed that the recognitions "generate growing momentum toward a peaceful settlement based on the two-state solution".

Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which comprises Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait, also welcomed the recognition of Palestine, saying it represents "an important historical development" toward achieving justice and international legitimacy.

Albudaiwi praised the "courageous stances" of the countries, which "reflect a sincere commitment to human values and international justice, and reaffirm the principles of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions".

Symbolic gesture

"The UK recognition is a very sensitive and symbolic gesture due to its role in the establishment of Israel. The Labour Party has long supported the Palestinian cause (so) for them to make a political decision based on their long ethical obligation was remarkable," Rasha Al Joundy, a senior researcher at the Dubai Public Policy Research Centre, told China Daily.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu has reiterated his stance against the establishment of a Palestinian state. Referring to the countries that have just recognized Palestine, he said: "I have another message for you: It's not going to happen. There will be no Palestinian state to the west of the Jordan River," he added.

Al Joundy said Israel risks isolating itself with its stance.

"Netanyahu and his far-right allies are taking an extreme position against most of the international community, and the more this government presents these kinds of statements that deny the Palestinians self-determination, and even the right to exist, with more annexation policies in the West Bank, Israel will be more isolated," she said.

"And it will lose more friends in the near future. It won't be a short-term loss, but this could cause a strategic defeat for Israel," Al Joundy said.

Palestine's UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour urged countries that have recognized Palestine to follow through with sanctions on Israel for its continued actions in Gaza.

Despite the diplomatic momentum, at least 15 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since dawn across the Gaza Strip on Monday, including 12 in Gaza City. Israeli forces also began to bulldoze Palestinian land in the village of Husan, west of Bethlehem, according to a report by Wafa News Agency.