Trump Calls Out Canada, U.K., and France for ‘Rewarding Hamas’ Amid Ongoing Hostage Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump is turning up the heat on key Western allies after leaders from Canada, the United Kingdom, and France signaled they will push forward with recognizing Palestinian statehood at the United Nations next month.
Read More
“The president expressed his displeasure and his disagreement with the leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Canada,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a press briefing Thursday. “He feels as though that’s rewarding Hamas at a time where Hamas is the true impediment to a ceasefire and to the release of all of the hostages.”
The latest comments reflect a sharper tone from the Trump administration whom Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called, “the greatest friend to Israel.” The rebuke comes after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Wednesday his country’s intent to formally recognize Palestine as a state — a move Trump warned could complicate future trade negotiations.
If carried out, the recognition by the three Western nations would align them with 147 other U.N. member states that currently recognize Palestinian statehood.
However, the Trump administration argues that such recognition, especially amid an ongoing conflict and unresolved hostage crisis, sends the wrong message.
“Premature recognition of a Palestinian state only emboldens Hamas and delays peace,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio criticized the U.K.’s position to FOX, saying: “The U.K. is like, well, ‘if Israel doesn’t agree to a ceasefire by September, we’re going to recognize a Palestinian state.’ So if I’m Hamas, I say, ‘you know what, let’s not allow there to be a ceasefire.’”
Rubio called the move “clumsy” diplomacy and accused the allied leaders of offering concessions to Palestinian leadership while Hamas continues to hold Israeli hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, terror attacks.
In a further demonstration of U.S. opposition to the move, the State Department announced new sanctions Thursday targeting officials from the Palestinian Authority and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The sanctions are intended to pressure Palestinian leadership over corruption and alleged ties to terror groups.
Supporters of Palestinian recognition have pointed to the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, which have worsened significantly under Israel’s military response to the October 7 attacks and its restrictions on incoming aid. Carney and other leaders have framed their support as a response to the suffering of innocent civilians a situation that the NY Times admitted they mischaracterized in their reporting last weekend.
