New Recognition of the State of Palestine .. Belgium Joins Britain, Canada, and Australia

In a moment described by the Permanent Representative of Palestine to the United Nations, Ambassador Riyad Mansour, as "historic", Belgium is preparing today, Monday, to officially announce its recognition of the State of Palestine, thus becoming the latest country to join the list of allies who have taken this step, following Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal, which also announced its official recognition of the Palestinian state yesterday, Sunday.

This bold diplomatic shift comes after nearly two years of the bloody war in the Gaza Strip, reflecting a change in the policy of these countries that have traditionally been reliable allies of Israel.

However, the move has not gone without sharp criticism from the Israeli side, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a video message directed to the leaders of Britain, Australia, and Canada, saying:

"There will be no Palestinian state", reiterating his threat to confront at the United Nations, describing the establishment of the Palestinian state as a "threat to the existence of the Israeli state".

On the other hand, the United States described this recognition as a "performative step", as a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that "our focus remains on serious diplomacy and protecting Israel's security".

These recognitions come on the eve of the opening of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where the anticipated summit, chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, will discuss the future of the "two-state solution".

Several countries, led by France, are expected to reaffirm their recognition of the State of Palestine during these meetings.

At the same time, the ground situation is escalating due to Israel, which has intensified its attacks and expanded its ground operations to control the city of Gaza, amid international accusations, notably a report from an independent commission of inquiry mandated by the United Nations that accused Israel of committing "genocide" in the besieged and devastated sector.

The United Nations officially declared a state of famine in Gaza last August.

On the international level, currently, 147 out of 193 member states of the United Nations recognize the State of Palestine, which was declared by the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1988, and the recent increase in the number of recognitions reflects a significant shift in the international stance towards the Palestinian issue.