How Gaza exasperation pushed three Israel allies towards recognising Palestinian state
OTTAWA/PARIS/LONDON - When Spain, Ireland and Norway announced in May 2024 that they would recognise a Palestinian state, Israel's closer allies dismissed the move as unhelpful to solving the crisis in Gaza.
While France, Britain and Canada stressed their support for establishing two states with recognised borders as the long-term solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, they were wary of being seen to reward Hamas, of damaging relations with Israel and Washington, and of squandering diplomatic capital.
"I will not do an 'emotional' recognition," French President Emmanuel Macron said at the time.
But as Israeli restrictions on aid escalated Gaza's humanitarian crisis and a two-month truce ended in March, talks began in earnest that would lead three of the Group of Seven major Western economies to set out plans to recognise a Palestinian state in September.
FEARS FOR TWO-STATE SOLUTION BOOST RECOGNITION DRIVE
"The possibility of a two-state solution is being eroded before our eyes ... that has been one of the factors that has brought us to this point to try to reverse, with partners, this cycle," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday.
France and Saudi Arabia formed a plan to have more Western countries move towards Palestinian recognition while Arab states would be pushed to take a stronger line against Hamas.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Tech Reporting suspected advanced cyber attacks will provide a defence framework: Shanmugam
Business Singapore's US tariff rate stays at 10%, but the Republic is not out of the woods yet
Asia Asia-Pacific economies welcome new US tariff rates, but concerns over extent of full impact remain
Business ST explains: How Trump tariffs could affect Singapore SMEs, jobs and markets
Asia Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupts
Singapore Thundery showers expected on most days in first half of August
Singapore Synapxe chief executive, MND deputy secretary to become new perm secs on Sept 1
Singapore 5 women face capital charges after they were allegedly found with nearly 27kg of cocaine in S'pore
The pair wanted their proposals to gain acceptance at a United Nations conference in June, but they struggled to gain traction and the meeting was then postponed due to Israeli airstrikes on Iran and amid intense U.S. diplomatic pressure.
The strikes led to a pause in public criticism of Israel from Western allies, and Arab states were hard to win round, but discussions continued behind the scenes. Macron, Carney and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were communicating with each other regularly by phone and texts during June and July, according to a Canadian source with direct knowledge of the events.
Canada was wary of acting alone and Britain wanted to ensure any move would have maximum impact, but Macron was more strident. Alarm was growing about images of starving children, and fears were mounting that Israel's Gaza offensive, combined with settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, would further undermine any chance of creating a sovereign Palestinian state.
On July 24, Macron made a surprise announcement that France would recognise a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly in September.
Neither Britain nor Canada followed immediately. But the relatively muted reaction by U.S. President Donald Trump – saying the statement carried no weight but that Macron was still a "great guy" – brought some reassurance that the diplomatic fallout would be manageable if others went the same way.
MACRON, STARMER, MERZ AND CARNEY
Macron spoke with Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz two days later to discuss a "sustainable route to a two-state solution", according to Starmer's spokesperson, just before the prime minister was due to meet Trump in Scotland.
With Trump, Starmer pressed the case to do more to help Gaza, although, according to Trump, he never explicitly said a recognition plan was on the cards, though Trump has since criticised such moves as "rewarding Hamas".
With Trump still in Britain on Tuesday, opening a golf course, Starmer recalled his cabinet from their summer break to get approval for his recognition plan. Britain would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless there was a ceasefire and a lasting peace plan from Israel.
Like Macron, Starmer gave Carney a few hours' warning. Once Britain and France had moved, Canada felt it had to follow suit, according to the Canadian source.
"International cooperation is essential to securing lasting peace and stability in the Middle East and Canada will do its best to help lead that effort," Carney said on Wednesday, six days after Macron's announcement.
In practical terms, the three countries' move will not change much. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed the recognition as "irrelevant" while its other major Group of Seven allies - Germany, Italy and Japan - have given no indication they will follow suit.
More than three-quarters of the 193 members of the U.N. General Assembly already independently recognise a Palestinian state. But the opposition of the U.S., with its veto power on the U.N. Security Council, means the U.N. cannot admit Palestine as a full member - a move that would effectively recognise a Palestinian state at global level.
However, Richard Gowan, U.N. director at the International Crisis Group, said the declarations mattered "precisely because we are seeing some big U.S. allies catching up with the bulk of the Global South on the Palestinian question at the U.N.".
"That makes it a little harder for Israel to write off the pro-recognition camp as irrelevant." REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Times
an hour ago
- Business Times
World economies reel from Trump's tariffs punch
[WASHINGTON] Global markets reeled on Friday (Aug 1) after US President Donald Trump's tariffs barrage against nearly all US trading partners as governments looked down the barrel of a seven-day deadline before higher duties take effect. Trump announced late Thursday that dozens of economies, including the European Union, will face new tariff rates of between 10 and 41 per cent. However, implementation will be on Aug 7 rather than on Friday as previously announced, the White House said. This gives governments a window to rush to strike deals with Washington, setting more favourable conditions. Neighbouring Canada, one of the biggest US trade partners, was hit with 35 per cent levies, up from 25 per cent, effective Friday, but with wide-ranging, current exemptions remaining in place. The tariffs are a demonstration of raw economic power that Trump sees putting US exporters in a stronger position, while encouraging domestic manufacturing by keeping out foreign imports. But the muscular approach has raised fears of inflation and other economic fallout in the world's biggest economy. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Stock markets in Hong Kong, London and New York slumped as they digested the turmoil, while weak US employment data added to worries. Trump's actions come as debate rages over how best to steer the US economy, with the US Federal Reserve this week deciding to keep interest rates unchanged, despite massive political pressure from the White House to cut. Data Friday showed US job growth missing expectations for July, while unemployment ticked up to 4.2 per cent from 4.1 per cent. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 dropped 1.6 per cent, while the Nasdaq tumbled 2.2 per cent. Political goals Trump raised duties on around 70 economies, from a current 10 per cent level imposed in April when he unleashed 'reciprocal' tariffs, citing unfair trade practices. The new, steeper levels listed in an executive order vary by trading partner. Any goods 'transshipped' through other jurisdictions to avoid US duties would be hit with an additional 40 per cent tariff, the order said. But Trump's duties also have a distinctly political flavour, with the president using separate tariffs to pressure Brazil to drop the trial of his far-right ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro. He also warned of trade consequences for Canada, which faces a different set of duties, after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. In targeting Canada, the White House cited its failure to 'cooperate in curbing the ongoing flood of fentanyl and other illicit drugs', although Canada is not a major source of illegal narcotics. By contrast, Trump gave more time to Mexico, delaying for 90 days a threat to increase its tariffs from 25 to 30 per cent. But exemptions remain for a wide range of Canadian and Mexican goods entering the United States under an existing North American trade pact. Carney said that his government was 'disappointed' with the latest rates hike but noted that with exclusions, the US average tariff on Canadian goods remains one of the lowest among US trading partners. 'Tears up' rule book With questions hanging over the effectiveness of bilateral trade deals struck, including with the EU and Japan, the outcome of Trump's overall plan remains uncertain. 'No doubt about it, the executive order and related agreements concluded over the past few months tears up the trade rule book that has governed international trade since World War II,' said Wendy Cutler, senior vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute. On Friday, Trump said that he would consider distributing a tariff 'dividend' to Americans. Notably excluded from Friday's drama was China, which is in the midst of negotiations with the United States. Washington and Beijing at one point brought tit-for-tat tariffs to triple-digit levels, but have agreed to temporarily lower these duties and are working to extend their truce. Those who managed to strike deals with Washington to avert steeper threatened levies included Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea and the European Union. Among other tariff levels adjusted in Trump's latest order, Switzerland now faces a higher 39 per cent duty. AFP
AsiaOne
3 hours ago
- AsiaOne
How Gaza exasperation pushed 3 Israel allies towards recognising Palestinian state, World News
OTTAWA/PARIS/LONDON - When Spain, Ireland and Norway announced in May 2024 that they would recognise a Palestinian state, Israel's closer allies dismissed the move as unhelpful to solving the crisis in Gaza. While France, Britain and Canada stressed their support for establishing two states with recognised borders as the long-term solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, they were wary of being seen to reward Hamas, of damaging relations with Israel and Washington, and of squandering diplomatic capital. "I will not do an 'emotional' recognition," French President Emmanuel Macron said at the time. But as Israeli restrictions on aid escalated Gaza's humanitarian crisis and a two-month truce ended in March, talks began in earnest that would lead three of the Group of Seven major Western economies to set out plans to recognise a Palestinian state in September. Fears for two-state solution boost recognition drive "The possibility of a two-state solution is being eroded before our eyes ... that has been one of the factors that has brought us to this point to try to reverse, with partners, this cycle," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday (July 31). France and Saudi Arabia formed a plan to have more Western countries move towards Palestinian recognition while Arab states would be pushed to take a stronger line against Hamas. The pair wanted their proposals to gain acceptance at a United Nations conference in June, but they struggled to gain traction and the meeting was then postponed due to Israeli airstrikes on Iran and amid intense US diplomatic pressure. The strikes led to a pause in public criticism of Israel from Western allies, and Arab states were hard to win round, but discussions continued behind the scenes. Macron, Carney and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were communicating with each other regularly by phone and texts during June and July, according to a Canadian source with direct knowledge of the events. Canada was wary of acting alone and Britain wanted to ensure any move would have maximum impact, but Macron was more strident. Alarm was growing about images of starving children, and fears were mounting that Israel's Gaza offensive, combined with settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, would further undermine any chance of creating a sovereign Palestinian state. On July 24, Macron made a surprise announcement that France would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. Neither Britain nor Canada followed immediately. But the relatively muted reaction by US President Donald Trump - saying the statement carried no weight but that Macron was still a "great guy" - brought some reassurance that the diplomatic fallout would be manageable if others went the same way. Macron, Starmer, Merz and Carney Macron spoke with Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz two days later to discuss a "sustainable route to a two-state solution", according to Starmer's spokesperson, just before the prime minister was due to meet Trump in Scotland. [[nid:720799]] With Trump, Starmer pressed the case to do more to help Gaza, although, according to Trump, he never explicitly said a recognition plan was on the cards, though Trump has since criticised such moves as "rewarding Hamas". With Trump still in Britain on Tuesday, opening a golf course, Starmer recalled his cabinet from their summer break to get approval for his recognition plan. Britain would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless there was a ceasefire and a lasting peace plan from Israel. Like Macron, Starmer gave Carney a few hours' warning. Once Britain and France had moved, Canada felt it had to follow suit, according to the Canadian source. "International co-operation is essential to securing lasting peace and stability in the Middle East and Canada will do its best to help lead that effort," Carney said on Wednesday, six days after Macron's announcement. In practical terms, the three countries' move will not change much. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed the recognition as "irrelevant" while its other major Group of Seven allies - Germany, Italy and Japan - have given no indication they will follow suit. More than three-quarters of the 193 members of the UN General Assembly already independently recognise a Palestinian state. But the opposition of the US, with its veto power on the UN Security Council, means the UN cannot admit Palestine as a full member - a move that would effectively recognise a Palestinian state at global level. However, Richard Gowan, UN director at the International Crisis Group, said the declarations mattered "precisely because we are seeing some big US allies catching up with the bulk of the Global South on the Palestinian question at the UN". "That makes it a little harder for Israel to write off the pro-recognition camp as irrelevant."
AsiaOne
5 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Cambodia to nominate Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize, says deputy PM, Asia News
PHNOM PENH - Cambodia will nominate US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, its deputy prime minister said on Friday (Aug 1), following his direct intervention in halting the Southeast Asian country's recent border conflict with Thailand. Asked via text message to confirm Cambodia's plan to nominate Trump for the prize, Chanthol responded, "yes." Speaking to reporters earlier in the capital, Phnom Penh, Chanthol thanked Trump for bringing peace and said he deserved to be nominated for the prize, the highest-profile international award given to an individual or organisation deemed to have done the most to "advance fellowship between nations". Pakistan said in June that it would recommend Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in helping to resolve a conflict with India, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month he had nominated Trump for the award. It was a call by Trump last week that broke a deadlock in efforts to end the heaviest fighting between Thailand and Cambodia in over a decade, leading to a ceasefire negotiated in Malaysia on Monday, Reuters has reported. Following the truce announcement, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X that Trump made it happen. "Give him the Nobel Peace Prize!," she said. At least 43 people have been killed in the intense clashes, which lasted five days and displaced more than 300,000 people on both sides of the border. "We acknowledge his great efforts for peace," said Chanthol, also Cambodia's top trade negotiator, adding that his country was also grateful for a reduced tariff rate of 19 per cent. Washington had initially threatened a tariff of 49 per cent, later reducing it to 36 per cent, a level that would have decimated Cambodia's vital garment and footwear sector, Chanthol told Reuters in an interview earlier on Friday. [[nid:719959]]
