On September 21, Portugal officially recognized the State of Palestine after Portugal’s Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Langer, signed a declaration with the UN delegation, stressing that the move was made in the context of the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip and the lack of signs of relief.
Portugal’s President De Sosa said on Monday that he fully supports the Portuguese government’s decision to formally recognize the Palestinian State and recognizes that the Palestinian State is a matter of conscience and principles for Portugal.
Palestinian President Abbas then welcomed Portugal's announcement of formal recognition of the Palestinian state. Abbas praised Portugal's recognition of the Palestinian state and reiterated that Portugal's recognition of the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination, freedom and independence will pave the way for the implementation of the "two-state solution" and enable the Palestinian state to coexist with Israel in security, peace and good-neighborliness. In addition, Abbas also reiterated all the commitments and reforms made by Palestine.
Earlier that day, the British, Canadian and Australian governments also announced their official recognition of the State of Palestine.France and Saudi Arabia will jointly host an international conference to implement the “Two-State Plan” at the United Nations headquarters in New York, when several countries, including France, will also announce their recognition of the State of Palestine.
In response to the recent multi-state recognition of the Palestinian State, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a statement on the 21st that there would be no Palestinian state. he said that in recent years the number of Israeli settlements on the West Bank has doubled and there will be no Palestinian state on the West Bank.