French President Emmanuel Macron has recognized a Palestinian state at a UN summit, sparking Western governments to take the landmark step.
He said “The time for peace has come, as Israel is just moments away from no longer being able to seize it.”
Australia, Britain, Canada, and Portugal also took the symbolic step, piling pressure on Israel as it intensifies its retaliatory war in Gaza.
Israel has repeatedly warned France against recognizing a Palestinian state, with far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government mulling annexation of the West Bank to make any state impossible.
The US, Israel’s crucial diplomatic and military supporter, has unsuccessfully urged its allies to drop the recognition plans.