Today's Edition
OTTAWA (AFP)
Canada plans to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday, a dramatic policy shift that Israel immediately rejected.
Carney said the move was necessary to preserve hopes of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a long-standing Canadian goal that was "being eroded before our eyes."
"Canada intends to recognise the State of Palestine at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025," the prime minister said.
It makes Canada the third country, following recent announcements by France and the United Kingdom, that could recognise a Palestinian state in September.
Carney said the worsening suffering of civilians in Gaza left "no room for delay in coordinated international action to support peace."
Israel blasted Canada's announcement as part of a "distorted campaign of international pressure."
Asked by reporters if there was a scenario where Canada could change its position before the UN meeting, Carney said: "There's a scenario (but) possibly one that I can't imagine."
Canada's intention "is predicated on the Palestinian Authority's commitment to much-needed reforms," Carney said, referring to the body led by President Mahmoud Abbas, which has civil authority in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Carney said his plans were further predicated on Abbas's pledge to "hold general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarise the Palestinian state."
