More than 220 British MPs urge Starmer to formally recognise Palestinian state
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (centre) is under rising domestic and international pressure over recognising Palestinian statehood.
PHOTO: AFP
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- 221 UK MPs from nine parties urge the government to recognise a Palestinian state, citing historic ties and UN Security Council membership.
- Keir Starmer faces rising pressure amid the Gaza conflict, stating recognition must be part of a broader peace plan, despite potential US opposition.
- Macron's plan for France to recognise Palestine adds international pressure, but Trump dismisses it.
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LONDON – More than 220 British MPs, including dozens from the ruling Labour party, demanded on July 25 that the British government formally recognise a Palestinian state, further increasing pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The call, in a letter signed by lawmakers from nine British political parties, came less than 24 hours after French President Emmanuel Macron said that his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state
France would be the first Group of Seven country – and the most powerful European nation to date – to make the move, already drawing condemnation from Israel and the US.
Mr Starmer has come under rising domestic and international pressure over recognising Palestinian statehood, as opposition intensifies to the ongoing war in Gaza amid fears of mass starvation there.
“We urge you to officially recognise the state of Palestine at the conference next week,” the 221 British lawmakers wrote in the joint letter, referring to a July 28 to 29 UN conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia in New York.
“Whilst we appreciate the UK does not have it in its power to bring about a free and independent Palestine, UK recognition would have a significant impact,” it said.
The signatories, from parties including the centre-right Conservatives and centrist Liberal Democrats, as well as regional parties in Scotland and Wales, cited Britain’s “historic connections and our membership on the UN Security Council”.
They also noted the country’s role in helping to create the state of Israel through the 1917 Balfour Declaration.
‘Historic responsibility’
“Since 1980, we have backed a two-state solution. Such a recognition would give that position substance as well as living up to a historic responsibility we have to the people,” they added.
In the face of growing pressure on the issue, the British government has maintained its longstanding stance that it supports a two-state solution to the conflict in the Middle East.
But it has insisted that the conditions are currently not right for formal recognition of a Palestinian state.
In a statement on July 25, following a call about Gaza with his counterparts in France and Germany, Mr Starmer said he was “working on a pathway to peace in the region”.
“Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan,” he added.
A number of factors could deter Mr Starmer from making the move, including wanting to avoid angering US President Donald Trump.
The American leader, who landed later on July 25 in Scotland for a five-day visit, dismissed Mr Macron’s announcement before departing Washington, saying it “doesn’t carry weight”.
The pressure around recognising Palestinian statehood has been building on Mr Starmer’s government, with nearly 60 Labour MPs reportedly urging British Foreign Secretary David Lammy to make the move in a private letter earlier in July.
Meanwhile, Mr Macron raised the issue during his British state visit in July, publicly urging London to work with Paris on a formal recognition announcement. AFP
