Is recognising Palestine a way to save face' for Western leaders?

"While a historic decision, Western states' recognition of Palestine needs to come with more action, analysts say. Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia have recognised Palestinian statehood, a symbolic response to Israel's ongoing war on Gaza and territorial expansion in the occupied West Bank. More states, including France and Portugal, are expected to recognise Palestine in the coming days after the announcements on Sunday."

"At an event in occupied East Jerusalem on September 15, Netanyahu promised his supporters that there will be no Palestinian state. While this act by the three states Canada, the UK and Australia grabbed the world's attention and many headlines, analysts tell Al Jazeera that it is a small, symbolic step in the ongoing indignity, murder and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, albeit it one with some weight."

"Recognition matters in this case because close US allies have so far reserved it until the day after a negotiated agreement, Rida Abu Rass, a Palestinian political scientist, told Al Jazeera. It matters because these countries broke ranks. In terms of its impact, Israel finds itself further isolated, and I think that's meaningful. On the same day as recognition was announced, at least 55 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza on Sunday."

Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia recognised Palestinian statehood as a symbolic response to Israel's war on Gaza and territorial expansion in the occupied West Bank. Additional recognitions from states such as France and Portugal were expected. Israel rejected the recognitions, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling them absurd and vowing there will be no Palestinian state. The recognitions broke diplomatic ranks among close US allies and increased Israel's international isolation, but analysts expressed skepticism that the move will improve immediate material conditions for Palestinians. Intensified Israeli attacks continued, producing dozens of deaths on the day of the announcements and large casualty totals since October 2023, including at least 65,283 killed and 166,575 wounded in Gaza.

Read at www.aljazeera.com