Starmer set to announce UK recognition of Palestinian state
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state in a statement on Sunday afternoon.
The prime minister said in July that the UK would shift its position unless Israel met several conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and committing to a long-term peace process leading to a Palestinian state co-existing alongside Israel.
The Israeli leadership has ruled this out since the start of the war following Hamas’s attack in southern Israel on 7 October 2023 in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
The PM’s move has drawn fierce criticism from the Israeli government, families of hostages held in Gaza and some Conservatives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously said recognition of a Palestinian state “rewards terror”.
The decision to recognise a Palestinian state represents a major change in UK foreign policy, after successive governments said recognition should come as part of a peace process and at a time of maximum impact.
No shit. It was also in July that the UK government outlawed a group called Palestine Action for “terrorism”, and since July they’ve arrested around 1600 people for “supporting” them, mostly by protesting the government over the ban. If Starmer does go with this statehood thing, where would that leave the group? And why do I feel like it wouldn’t actually make much difference…?
