America bucks the trend of strategic allies.

Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special

Arab Sea - Follow-ups: Observers believe that the United States has taken a course contrary to the current of strategic allies in the West, amid increasing recognition of the State of Palestine by Western countries, in contrast to the American position. The US State Department stressed on Monday that "peace in the region can be achieved by it being free of Hamas," stressing that Washington's priority is primarily "the release of hostages and the security of Israel." This comes after Western countries, namely Britain, Australia, Canada, and Portugal, announced on Sunday their recognition of the State of Palestine, followed by Belgium on Monday, and France later. The United States downplayed the recognition of some of its major allies in the West, including Britain, Australia, and Canada, of the Palestinian state, considering it an act for "show." A US State Department spokesman said: "Our focus remains on serious diplomacy, not performative gestures. Our priorities are clear: the release of hostages and the security of Israel." The American spokesman affirmed that "among those priorities are peace and prosperity in the entire region," which he saw as "only achievable if it is free of Hamas." The recognition by Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal on Sunday of the State of Palestine officially, on the eve of the United Nations General Assembly meetings, constitutes a historic shift in the policy of these countries, which are considered traditional allies of Israel, and comes about two years after the outbreak of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. Western countries have expressed for weeks their intention to recognize the State of Palestine, in light of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israel is waging a war on the besieged sector. For his part, the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, stressed that "the priority today is to stop the ceasefire, bring in aid, release all hostages and prisoners, and complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip." He added in a statement reported by the "Wafa" agency, within his praise for Portugal's recognition of the State of Palestine, that among those priorities is also "the State of Palestine assuming its full responsibilities, going to recovery and reconstruction, and stopping settlement and settler terrorism."