Taghreed Saadeh
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received a phone call on Wednesday evening from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
During the call, the Canadian Prime Minister informed Abbas that his country intends to recognize the State of Palestine in September, coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly.
Carney affirmed that Canada will continue to work with France, the United Kingdom, and international partners to achieve peace based on international law and the implementation of a two-state solution.
He also emphasized that, given the difficult humanitarian situation, Canada is currently sending urgent humanitarian aid by air and land to the Gaza Strip in cooperation with Jordan.
For his part, Abbas praised Canada’s historic stance to recognize the State of Palestine, which he said will enhance peace, stability, and security in the region, and contribute to strengthening friendship, cooperation, and joint efforts between the two countries for peace and stability.
Abbas affirmed that this courageous position comes at a crucial historic moment to save the internationally supported two-state solution, calling on countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine to do so. He said this would provide hope for genuine international will to end the occupation and achieve peace based on international legitimacy decisions and the Arab Peace Initiative, establishing an independent Palestinian state within the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living in security and peace alongside its neighbors, and enabling reconstruction efforts.
He also reiterated the priority of achieving a ceasefire, allowing humanitarian aid entry, ending starvation and the blockade, releasing prisoners and hostages, stopping displacement, enabling Palestine to fully assume its responsibilities in Gaza, and complete Israeli withdrawal.
Abbas said they reaffirm all commitments communicated to the International Peace Conference presidency, including holding general elections, stressing that Palestinian factions participating must recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization’s political program and international obligations, adhere to the principles of one state, one law, and legitimate arms, and called for releasing Palestinian tax funds and stopping settler violence and attacks on Islamic and Christian holy sites.
At the end of the call, both agreed to continue coordination and joint work toward peace and strengthening bilateral relations between Palestine and Canada at all levels.
After, Carney said during a press conference following the call that the possibility of achieving a two-state solution seems to be vanishing due to Israeli settlement expansion and unilateral actions in the West Bank and Gaza, all of which reduce the chance of establishing a Palestinian state, which motivated Canada’s decision. He added, “We are trying to make this solution viable again.”
He stressed Canada’s support for President Mahmoud Abbas’s priorities, including a ceasefire, entry of medical and humanitarian aid, Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and commitment to holding general elections.
Carney said, “Canada will continue to support Israel’s existence as an independent state in the Middle East, living in peace and security.” He added, “But any path to lasting peace for Israel also requires a stable and viable Palestinian state that recognizes Israel’s inalienable right to security.”
A statement from Carney’s office said the leaders discussed “the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza, as well as the United Kingdom’s announcement on recognizing the State of Palestine.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly rejected Canada’s decision, describing it in a post on platform X as a “reward to Hamas.”
The statement read: “The change in the Canadian government’s position at this time is a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for hostage release.”
Israel’s Ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed, posted on the embassy’s X account: “Let us be clear: Israel will not bow to the distorted international pressure campaign against it. We will not sacrifice our very existence by allowing a jihadist state on our ancestral homeland seeking our annihilation.”
Earlier, both Israel and the US criticized France and the UK’s moves to recognize Palestine, calling them rewards to Hamas. Last month, Canada joined the UK, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia in sanctioning two far-right ministers in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
12 Total Count
