UK, Canada, Australia launch a new 'peacebuilding' fund to support a two-state solution, as critics question Palestinian incitement

The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia have launched a joint international peace fund to advance a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians, marking a new diplomatic effort by the three countries to support long-term peacebuilding in the Middle East.

The initiative, announced last week by the three nations' foreign ministers following trilateral talks in the UK, seeks to support grassroots organizations working to foster dialogue and trust between Israelis and Palestinians. Each country has initially committed £1 million ($US1.33 million) to the fund and plans to seek additional contributions from international donors.

According to the British Foreign Office, the fund will “prioritize long-term peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinians to address root causes of conflict and support a sustainable two-state solution."

The Foreign Office added that the initiative “complements existing efforts to provide humanitarian support in Palestine, crack down on violent settlers, and support the 20-point Gaza peace plan.”

The announcement followed talks between UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand.

Cooper framed the two-state solution as essential to achieving lasting peace and security in the region.

“Peace, justice and security in the Middle East depends on a two-state solution and it is why our countries have recognised the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel,” Cooper said.

The UK, Canada, Australia and France officially recognized the “State of Palestine” last year despite objections from Jerusalem and Washington, which argued that such a unilateral move constituted a reward for Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of 251 people from Israel.

Cooper argued that the new fund complements broader diplomatic efforts.

“But too often Middle East peace is seen as an issue only of international diplomacy. When generations of Israelis and Palestinians have grown up with cycles of conflict and violence, we also need to support the local community organisations who are building dialogue, peace and trust across communities,” the British foreign secretary explained.

“That is why the UK is launching the International Peace Fund with Australia and Canada, to support those working tirelessly to foster understanding between Israeli and Palestinian communities and create the conditions for the two states to live side-by-side in peace,” Cooper stated.

In addition to promoting peace efforts in the Middle East, the three countries pledged to combat antisemitism and strengthen security for Jewish communities at home. Antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment have risen sharply across much of the Western world since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, with Canada, Australia and the UK among the countries reporting significant increases in anti-Jewish incidents.

Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged the severity of the problem.

“The crisis of antisemitism in Canada today is specific, it’s severe and it demands a targeted response,” Carney said. “Canada’s civic compact is failing Jewish Canadians."

Canada announced in March that it would invest $10 million to strengthen security around Jewish schools and synagogues amid the rise in antisemitic incidents.

While backing a two-state solution, the UK, Canada and Australia did not address ongoing concerns about antisemitic content and calls for jihad in Palestinian Authority educational materials, which critics argue undermine prospects for coexistence.

Those concerns have also drawn attention in Europe. In May, the European Parliament condemned the glorification of Jew-hatred and calls for violence against Israel in Palestinian Authority textbooks.

The European Union subsequently stated that funding to the Palestinian Authority would be conditioned on removing “antisemitic content, incitement to violence and the glorification of martyrdom and jihad” from educational materials. The European Parliament’s budget report stressed that EU financial aid “should support education that promotes peace, tolerance and coexistence.”