UK Prime Minister Announces Intention to Recognize Palestinian State

Latest Developments

Formal Recognition Planned for September: UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that the United Kingdom will formally recognize a Palestinian state if Israel does not take substantive steps to improve conditions in Gaza by the time the UN General Assembly meets in September. Starmer made the announcement after speaking by phone to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said that the Palestinian people were “enduring terrible suffering” because of “a catastrophic failure of aid” and that the images from the conflict “will stay with us for a lifetime.”
Starmer’s List of Demands: Starmer listed a set of demands to be met by Israel to stave off a recognition declaration, including allowing more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, renunciation of any intention to annex the West Bank, and committing to a long-term peace process that delivers a “two-state solution.” Earlier in the week, Starmer recalled his cabinet from summer recess to discuss the situation in Gaza and a proposed peace plan. Previously, Starmer maintained that the United Kingdom would only recognize a Palestinian state as part of a negotiated peace deal — a position that drew criticism from within his ruling Labour Party. On July 25, over 200 members of parliament, more than half drawn from Labour’s ranks, signed a letter calling on the United Kingdom to recognize a Palestinian state.
Trump Surprised by Announcement: President Donald Trump, who met with Starmer the previous day, told reporters that he was not informed of Starmer’s plan beforehand. “You could make the case that you’re rewarding Hamas if you do that,” Trump said. The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that the “shift in the British government’s position at this time, following the French move and internal political pressures, constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of hostages.” French President Emmanuel Macron last week confirmed his intention to recognize a Palestinian state during the United Nations’ September meeting.

FDD Expert Response

“Prime Minister Starmer’s planned recognition of Palestine would undercut Middle East peace and is inconsistent with international law. Rather than advance peace, Starmer’s plan would undermine UN Security Council Resolution 242, the Oslo Accords, and longstanding British policy, pursuant to all of which Palestinian statehood can only come as part of a negotiated solution to the conflict, whereby Israel receives peace in return. Hamas is emboldened to continue holding hostages and obstructing a ceasefire, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has no incentive to crack down on West Bank terrorism when European leaders recognize Palestinian statehood without Israel receiving peace in return.” — Orde Kittrie, Senior Fellow

“Much of the momentum for this ill-advised announcement is rooted in the fissures within Starmer’s Labour Party over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Starmer may see this as a means of appeasing Labour’s ‘Palestine First’ wing, which wants to push him to even more extreme positions regardless of their impact on the United Kingdom’s interests, or upon the prospects for peace.”— Ben Cohen, Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Director