It is no longer the 19th century, and so British recognition of a Palestinian state, let alone that of Canada and Australia, means absolutely nothing. Contrary to arguments that Israel “occupies” Gaza, the would-be state has never been a stand-alone entity. Control over disputed territories passed from the Ottomans to the British to the Jordanians and Egyptians. It is telling that neither Jordan nor Egypt recognized the West Bank and Gaza as a Palestinian state. Most Palestinians came from outside the region, as early 20th-century censuses show. If Canberra, Ottawa, and London — the Axis of Pandering — wish to...