Trump's Top Team Rages Over Allies' 'Clumsy' Plan To Recognise Palestinian Statehood

US President Donald Trump Donald Trump’s White House has given the UK, France and Canada a slap on the wrist for announcing their plans to recognise a Palestinian state.It’s a bit of a sharp U-turn compared to where the US president was on Monday, when he appeared to give Keir Starmer the green light to take the major diplomatic step.He told reporters at the time: “I’m not going to take a position [on statehood], I don’t mind him [Starmer] taking a position. I’m looking for getting people fed right now.”Days later, Starmer announced he was going to be copying France and recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel starts improving conditions in Gaza.Immediately after the prime minister’s announcement, the US president told reporters he had “no view” on the topic.But it seems Trump has already changed his mind – or rather, his officials have.Once Canada announced it was following suit, US officials started to argue that the plan to recognise Palestinian statehood at September’s UN General Assembly would only incentivise Hamas militants to prolong the war.However, the UK, France and Canada say the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the shocking levels of starvation there – caused by Israel’s military campaign and its blockade of aid – mean Palestine needs to be recognised now.Trump did split from Israel this week by acknowledging there is starvation in Gaza, but his officials made it clear he would not be following the UK, France and Canada any time soon.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday: “The president expressed his displeasure and his disagreement with the leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Canada.“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.”Trump also suggested on Thursday that Canada’s Palestine plan would make their ongoing trade negotiations only more complicated.US secretary of state Marco Rubio even called recognising Palestine as a state an “irrelevant” and “clumsy” move from the UK, Canada and France.He said it was a concession to Palestinian leaders even though Hamas still has Israeli hostages from its attack on Israel in October 7, 2023.Taking aim at Britain in particular, he told Fox News Radio: “The UK is like, well, ‘If Israel doesn’t agree to a ceasefire by September, we’re going to recognise a Palestinian state.’“So if I’m Hamas, I say, ‘you know what, let’s not allow there to be a ceasefire.’“If Hamas refuses to agree to a ceasefire, it guarantees a Palestinian state will be recognised by all these countries in September.”Rubio also acknowledged that the starvation in Gaza is attracting sympathy from the West – but he called it a “PR war”.“Hamas is sitting there saying, ’We’re winning the PR war, we’ve got all these countries lining up on our side of this argument,” the US’s top diplomat said.″‘We’ve got leverage now. We shouldn’t agree to anything. We should keep this thing going.’”Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will be travelling to Gaza on Friday to survey aid distribution sites.The US State Department also hit Palestinian Authority officials and members of the Palestine Liberation Orgainsation with new sanctions on Thursday in a further blow to Palestinian statehood.Related...Israel Is Committing Genocide In Gaza, Israeli Human Rights Groups ConcludeTrump Says He Disagrees With Israel's Claim There Is 'No Starvation' In Gaza'Make Or Break': UN Aid Chief's Bleak Warning Over Gaza As Hunger Levels Rise

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