U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed recent announcements by several Western governments recognizing Palestine, calling them “irrelevant” and insisting that a Palestinian state cannot exist without Israel’s consent.
“None of these countries have the ability to create a Palestinian state,” Rubio said in a Thursday interview with Fox Radio. “There can be no Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to it.”
Rubio criticized the recognitions as “counterproductive,” arguing that they embolden Hamas while 20 hostages remain in captivity and over 50 bodies are still being held.
“At the end of the day, the Hamas side is the Palestinian statehood side. So you are creating this reward,” he said, claiming that such moves undermine ceasefire negotiations.
He also suggested the decisions were driven by domestic political pressures rather than genuine diplomacy:
“These statements won’t change anything. All they do is encourage Hamas, giving them every reason not to agree to a ceasefire or release hostages.”
Several Western leaders recently announced their intention to formally recognize Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly in September.
- French President Emmanuel Macron,
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney,
- Malta’s Foreign Ministry, and
- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (conditional on Israeli actions)
Rubio urged these governments to instead unite in pressuring Hamas to release hostages “immediately,” warning that unilateral recognition would damage rather than advance peace efforts.