Strong reactions poured across the global internet after Canada, Australia, and Portugal joined the United Kingdom (UK) in formally recognising Palestinian statehood amid the genocide in Gaza, in which more than 64,000 people have been killed since October 05, 2023.
Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Mark Carney, in a statement on Sunday, announced the recognition of a Palestinian state, offering “our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel”.
“Recognising the State of Palestine, led by the Palestinian Authority, empowers those who seek peaceful coexistence and the end of Hamas. This in no way legitimises terrorism, nor is it any reward for it,” Carney said.
Later in the same day, Portugal’s Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel confirmed that his country had also recognised Palestinian statehood. In a statement issued by PM Anthony Albanese, Australia said its recognition alongside Canada’s and the UK’s was part of an international bid for a two-state solution.
Canada’s and Australia’s recognition of Palestinian statehood appeared to have been coordinated with the UK, where PM Keir Starmer announced that his country was formally recognising a Palestinian state shortly after the announcements from Ottawa and Canberra.
In the wake of prominent Western nations recognising the Palestinian state, PM Benjamin Netanyahu in a message, said that it was a “prize” for Hamas.
Many analysts and journalists along with social media users lambasted the countries that have joined the group in merely recognising the Palestinian state, arguing that such gestures will not yield any effective result.
Sharing a photo of three individuals, victims of Israeli aggression, sitting by the roadside, Palestinian journalist Motasem A Dalloul wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Nonsense recognition of the state of Palestine does not benefit us.. The only purpose of this useless recognition is diverting attention from continuous Israeli genocide war crimes in Gaza.”
“The white man will try to satisfy us with symbolic victories rather than economic equity and real justice,” wrote one tweep on X (formerly Twitter).
Another person didn’t mince his words: “Meaningless crap at this stage from those that have armed and supported the genocidal Israeli state. What are they recognising, a pile of rubble?”
A lawyer in Gaza questioned the value of recognising a Palestinian state if its people are being “exterminated”. He noted, “A state without a people is not a state, but a collective death certificate wrapped in political words. More important than recognition is stopping the genocide now, because the survival of human lives is the first condition for the existence of any state.”
An author opined that recognising a Palestinian state in itself is not enough, but needs actions. He asked, “Are Britain and France and the others going to impose arms embargos? Get food to Gaza? Start treating Netanyahu like they treat Putin?”
Another exasperated netizen asked, “Enough of this charade. What does it even mean, recognizing the State of Palestine? What are you doing to stop Israel from totally annihilating Palestinian people? Will you stop aiding Israel’s military? Will you sanction Israel? Will it be declared a global pariah?”
Pakistani analyst Ejaz Haider advised against “celebrating this bullshit recognition of a phantasmic Palestinian state by the very Western states that continue to abet the Zionist entity’s genocidal war. don’t be hoodwinked.”
