Bereaved Israelis call for recognition of Palestinian state ahead of UN summit

Bereaved Israelis are calling on the international community to formally recognize a Palestinian state ahead of the UN Summit on 22 September. The campaign has gained momentum as the UK prepares to announce recognition Sunday, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer expected to confirm the decision. Several other Western countries, including France, Canada and Australia, are also moving toward recognition.

Yonatan Zeigen, peace activist said "Palestinian liberation and Israeli security is dependent on the Palestinians receiving their basic right. It shouldn't be negotiable, conditional, in line with Israeli timing. It's a basic right of peoples: self-determination and statehood."

Organisers say thousands have signed petitions in support of recognition, aiming to present them at the UN summit. Around 147 UN Member States already recognise Palestine, and advocates say further recognitions could shift the international landscape and make it harder to continue the marginalisation of Palestinians.