UK, Portugal to join wave of nations recognising Palestinian state

London: In a historic diplomatic shift, the United Kingdom is poised to formally recognise a Palestinian state, more than a century after the Balfour Declaration laid the foundation for Israel’s creation.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to announce the move on Sunday, two days before the UN General Assembly (UNGA) convenes in New York, where Palestinian sovereignty will take centre stage.

The 80th session of the UN General Assembly opens on September 9, with world leaders set to address the high-level debate from September 23 to 29 in New York.

The UK and Portugal are leading a new wave of recognitions, joining Spain, Ireland, Norway and others who in recent months have broken with Israel’s longstanding allies to back Palestinian statehood.

The decisions mark a dramatic turn in Western policy as outrage over Israel’s devastating Gaza offensive intensifies.

The symbolism of London’s recognition is profound. In 1917, Britain issued the Balfour Declaration, endorsing “a national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine. Seventy-seven years ago, Israel was born in the British Mandate of Palestine. Now, the same power is moving to recognise Palestinian sovereignty after decades of occupation and war.

Starmer had signalled the shift in July, warning Israel that if no “substantive steps” were taken toward a ceasefire with Hamas by the UNGA, recognition would follow. “This decision is about making a contribution to a proper peace process, at the moment of maximum impact for the two-state solution,” the Labour leader said at the time.

Israel has fiercely opposed the move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Starmer of “rewarding monstrous terrorism” and appeasing Hamas.

He warned that recognition risks emboldening militancy and undermining Israeli security.

US President Donald Trump, visiting the UK last week, echoed Netanyahu’s anger. Trump told reporters that recognition of Palestine was “a terrible idea” and privately pressed Starmer to reverse course.

Washington remains the only permanent member of the UN Security Council refusing to back Palestinian statehood.

Despite opposition from Israel and the US, momentum is building. With the UK and Portugal’s recognition, 148 of the 193 UN member states will officially acknowledge Palestine. France and Canada are preparing to follow suit, while Germany continues to resist, insisting that “conditions are not met.”

On Monday, France and Saudi Arabia will host a special summit on the sidelines of the UNGA to push forward the two-state solution, a proposal endorsed overwhelmingly in a UN vote last week. The resolution, backed 142-10, urged Israel to commit to Palestinian sovereignty. The US and Israel were among the few voting against.

Portugal’s foreign ministry confirmed that its formal announcement will be made on Sunday, citing “the extremely worrying evolution of the conflict” and Israel’s repeated threats to annex Palestinian land. Lisbon’s stance reflects wider European frustration as the humanitarian disaster in Gaza worsens.

The war, triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented October 7, 2023 assault that killed 1,219 Israelis, has since claimed the lives of more than 65,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to UN-backed figures from Gaza’s health ministry. A UN hunger monitor has declared famine in parts of the territory, while Israeli officials warn of “unprecedented force” in their campaign to retake Gaza City.

The devastation has fuelled outrage worldwide, with critics accusing Israel of genocide. Britain has continued to arm Israel even as a UN inquiry and human rights groups confirmed systematic atrocities in Gaza.

Supporters of recognition argue it is the only path left to salvage a two-state solution before it collapses entirely. “The world should not feel intimidated by the risk of retaliation,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday, urging governments to act decisively.

Israel, however, has hinted at harsh reprisals. Officials in Tel Aviv have reportedly threatened to annex parts of the West Bank if recognitions continue. Netanyahu remains defiant, vowing never to accept a Palestinian state under what he calls “terrorist pressure.”

As world leaders gather in New York, the recognition announcements are set to dominate the UNGA’s agenda. Britain’s decision, alongside Portugal and possibly France, represents the sharpest break with Israeli policy by Western powers in decades.

If confirmed, the UK’s announcement will mark a watershed moment: the former colonial power that midwifed Israel’s creation now recognising Palestine’s right to statehood. For Palestinians, it is a symbolic victory after decades of displacement and war. For Israel, it is a warning that even its closest allies are running out of patience.

The coming days at the UN will determine whether recognition sparks renewed momentum for peace — or deepens Israel’s isolation on the world stage.

Content: A letter to Lord Rothschild pledging British support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people,” while stating that nothing should prejudice the rights of existing non-Jewish communities.