Canada, Britain and Australia officially recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday, a co-ordinated effort to put pressure on Israel as it wages war in Gaza, and to revive the chances of a two-state solution to the conflict.
Portugal followed suit with a similar statement later in the day, and France is expected to issue its recognition Monday.
The decision by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government puts it at odds with this country’s most important ally, the United States, and represents a significant shift in Canadian foreign policy, which previously held that such recognition would come only after a negotiated peace agreement between Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
