Carney defends decision to recognize Palestinian statehood in UN speech

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Prime Minister Mark Carney defended his decision to recognize Palestinian statehood, saying in a speech at the United Nations it was necessary because the viability of a negotiated peace was being “steadily and gravely eroded” by both Hamas and the government of Israel.

Mr. Carney spoke Monday at a United Nations conference in New York aimed at salvaging a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a day after Canada joined Britain, Australia and Portugal in officially recognizing Palestine as a state.

“The current Israeli government is working methodically to prevent the prospect of a Palestinian state from ever being established,” Mr. Carney said.

France, one of the hosts of the UN conference, announced Monday it would also recognize Palestinian statehood despite forceful opposition from both Israel and its security guarantor, the United States. Other countries that said they would recognize Palestine on Monday include Belgium, Monaco and Malta, but Belgium’s recognition was conditional on the release of hostages and the removal of Hamas from power.

Palestinian statehood is dominating the 80th United Nations General Assembly this month and U.S. President Donald Trump, an unabashed opponent of recognizing the state of Palestine, is set to speak Tuesday. The conference was held on the margins of the General Assembly.

Mr. Carney rebuked Hamas for its “heinous attack” in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and said the militant group − designated a terrorist entity by the Canadian government – “has stolen from the Palestinian people and cheated them of their life and liberty, and can in no way dictate their future.”

Mr. Carney, whose government has said it is prepared to take part in a “large scale” delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip as part of a peace plan for Palestine, also rebuked Israel for its conduct in the West Bank.

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The West Bank is territory captured and occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a Palestinian state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is set to give a speech to the General Assembly on Friday before heading to see Mr. Trump at the White House, said he would announce Israel’s response after the trip.

Far-right Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced Sunday he would propose annexing the West Bank in response to the recognitions of Palestinian statehood by Western countries. Reuters in August reported that Israeli officials are considering such a measure.

In his speech Monday, Mr. Carney singled out Israel’s “accelerated settlement building across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the soaring settler violence against Palestinians.”

Finally, he referred to the E1 Settlement Plan, which aims to build thousands of new housing units in an area that would cut the West Bank in two and further fragment Palestinian territories. Actions such as this plan hurt the chances of peace, the Prime Minister said.

Canada recognized Palestinian statehood Sunday as part of a push by Western countries to put pressure on Israel as it wages war in Gaza and to revive the chances of a two-state solution.

As he left the UN stage Monday, Mr. Carney pointed at French President Emmanuel Macron, who gave him a thumbs up in response. Mr. Macron was instrumental in gaining support among Western countries to recognize a Palestinian state. Germany, Italy and Japan, however, oppose recognition, arguing that it should be a final step on the path toward a two-state solution.

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That decision by Mr. Carney’s government puts it at odds with Canada’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.

Mr. Trump in August had said Canada’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state would complicate efforts to reach a new trade deal with Canada. Mr. Trump has hit Canada with numerous tariffs since taking office.

“That will make it very hard for us to make a trade deal with them,” the U.S. President said last month on his Truth Social account.

Recognition of Palestinian state puts Canada at odds with U.S.

In an earlier speech Monday, Mr. Carney said Canada wants to lessen its dependence on the United States so it doesn’t have to monitor Mr. Trump’s Truth Social or other social media to determine what new U.S. policy might affect this country.

In comments to the Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S. think tank, Mr. Carney talked about his efforts to build more economic opportunities for Canada outside the increasingly protectionist U.S.

“Canadians understand the need to, as we put it, to be masters in our own house,” Mr. Carney told the council in an interview Monday.

“The country does not want to wake up and look on, with due respect, on Truth Social or X.com to see what the latest change is in U.S. policy, but wants to get on with what we can control, and that’s a big part of the government strategy.”

He told the council Monday that in his opinion the world is undergoing a dramatic shift driven in part by changing U.S. policy, which is reducing the effectiveness of international institutions such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization – institutions Canada has relied upon.

This forces Canada to be more self-reliant, he said.

“We prospered under the old system,” he said. “We would like the old system back.”

“The economic strategy of the United States has clearly changed from the support for the multilateral system to a more transactional and managed bilateral trade and investment approach.”

Mr. Carney also praised China in his speech to the council, saying Beijing is “very sincere and engaged” on fighting climate change. He called China a “country run by engineers.”