Qatar and Saudi Arabia support Western recognition of Palestine

Qatar and Saudi Arabia have endorsed decisions made by the UK, Canada and Australia to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state, as reported by The New Arab on September 22nd.

This West’s recognition took place against a backdrop of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, where thousands of Palestinians are still fleeing Gaza following the continuation of Israel’s assault on the city. These attacks from the Israeli Defense Forces are being carried out in spite of recent declarations from multiple Western nations to recognise Palestine statehood, as well as international calls for a ceasefire from multiple global organizations.

An estimated 550,000 Palestinians have been geographically displaced by the conflict according to the Israeli military. Many of these Palestinians have fled south, with aid agencies reporting overcrowding in areas south of Gaza.

Despite Arab states supporting the UK, Canada and Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state, Israel’s assault on Gaza has remained uninterrupted. The New Arab also reported, citing Al Jazeera, that 15 Palestinians were killed by Israel’s attacks, with 12 of these deaths occurring in Gaza City.

Arab states such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia are encouraging other nations to follow in the footsteps of countries that are recognising Palestine as a state. Furthermore, during the Palestinian Authority’s mission to the UK, Ambassador Husam Zomlot embraced the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state.

While the support for Palestinian sovereignty has been on a rise, it is also important to consider a number of countries have remained hesitant to acknowledge Palestinian statehood. Countries such as the Netherlands stalled their recognition of Palestine, whereas the US has reportedly expressed some opposition to the UK over its decision to recognise Palestine, without explicitly denouncing the move.

As the current humanitarian crisis happening in Gaza continues to worsen, Qatar and Saudi Arabia’s support for the recognition of Palestine puts further pressure on other nations to acknowledge Palestine as a sovereign state. With the increasingly unanimous recognition of Palestine, the question remains as to whether this will help bring the conflict towards a ceasefire or if Israel’s military will continue their assault on Gaza.

The New Arab, Al Jazeera, Maghrebi.org