Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, welcomed the recognition of the Palestinian State by Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal, describing these recognitions as "historic" and stressing that they open a serious path towards a peaceful settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution.
Gamal Roshdy, the Secretary-General's Spokesperson, explained that this latest wave of recognitions, along with those announced last year by Spain, Ireland, and Norway, constitutes tangible diplomatic momentum towards the realisation of a Palestinian State. He noted that more than 152 countries have now recognised Palestine and that additional recognitions are expected in the context of the high-level international conference to resolve the Palestinian cause through peaceful means and implement the two-state solution, scheduled to be held in New York on 22 September with broad international participation under Saudi-French co-chairmanship.
The Spokesperson quoted Mr. Aboul Gheit as stressing that the British recognition of Palestine is particularly significant, given the United Kingdom’s role in the establishment of Israel after World War I, and represents a correction of historical errors that have caused decades of suffering for the Palestinian people.
