UK formally recognises Palestine state
Newshour
BBC
4.2 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 21 September 2025
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Portugal has joined Britain, Canada and Australia in formally recognising Palestinian statehood. It comes after their growing criticism of Israel's military offensive in Gaza -- and is meant to revive hopes of a two-state solution to the conflict. Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a Palestinian state would not happen and denounced recognition as a huge reward to terrorism. Palestinian leaders welcomed recognition. We will hear from Palestinians and an Israeli official.
Also in the programme: We will hear from the Hollywood star Leonardo Di Caprio about his new film; Martin Luther King the Third on political violence in America and trying to bridge the divide; and talking statues of the gardens of Versailles.
(Photo credit: PA)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:09.2 | Hello and welcome to NewsHour from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:12.4 | We're coming to you live from London. |
| 0:14.2 | I'm James Menendez. |
| 0:15.7 | And we're going to begin today with what, at least in diplomatic terms, feels like a big moment in the history of the Middle East. |
| 0:22.3 | The UK, together with Canada and Australia, have formally recognised a Palestinian state. |
| 0:27.7 | 147 countries around the world already had, but for years, Israel's principal allies in the West had dragged their feet. |
| 0:35.6 | The UK is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, |
| 0:38.7 | Canada, a member of the G7 group of leading nations. |
| 0:41.9 | And on Monday, France, another UN Security Council member, |
| 0:44.9 | is expected to follow suit. |
| 0:47.2 | The US, Israel's most important ally, |
| 0:49.9 | is deeply opposed to the move. |
| 0:51.7 | Well, here's some of what the British Prime Minister Kirstama had to say in his announcement earlier. |
| 0:56.6 | With the actions of Hamas, the Israeli government escalating the conflict and settlement building |
| 1:02.6 | being accelerated in the West Bank, the hope of a two-state solution is fading. But we cannot let that light go out. |
| 1:13.9 | We recognise the state of Israel more than 75 years ago |
| 1:17.5 | as a homeland for the Jewish people. |
| 1:20.9 | Today, we join over 150 countries |
| 1:24.4 | who recognize a Palestinian state also, that there can be a better future. |
| 1:32.4 | Well, that announcement was welcomed by officials from the Palestinian Authority, which run |
| 1:36.8 | some areas of the Occupy West Bank and represents Palestinians abroad. |
... |
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