Trump calls US allies ‘foolish’ for recognizing State of Palestine

The UK and France are among the nations that defied Washington’s warnings last week

US President Donald Trump has criticized key European allies for formally recognizing Palestinian statehood.

Several nations, including France, the UK, Canada, and Australia, recognized the State of Palestine during last week’s UN General Assembly session, drawing condemnation from the US and Israel.

“Several countries have foolishly recognized the Palestinian state. Some of our European friends, allies, good people,” Trump said at a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. “But they’re really, I think, doing that because they’re very tired of what’s been going on for so many decades,” he added.

On Monday, Trump unveiled a 20-point roadmap to peace, which calls for the disarmament of Hamas, the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and the establishment of a transitional government in Gaza.

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Netanyahu thanked Trump for taking a “firm position that the Palestinian Authority could have no role whatsoever in Gaza.” He warned that Israel “will finish the job” if Hamas rejects the deal.

The European states have maintained that recognizing Palestine affirms a two-state solution and could help advance the peace process in Gaza, where more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. Netanyahu argued that the move will embolden Hamas to conduct more attacks on Israeli civilians.

The UK government said last week that Hamas “will have no role in the future of Palestine.” French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the “recognition of the State of Palestine is a defeat for Hamas and for all those who incite anti-Semitic hatred.”