On Sunday 21 September, the UK officially recognised the state of Palestine. Keir Starmer made the announcement in a video posted on X, following his promise in July that the UK would do so if Israel had not taken “substantive steps” to alleviate the situation in Gaza, including reaching a ceasefire. In the months since Starmer’s initial declaration, these conditions have not been met.
This is a significant moment. At the UN General Assembly, which begins 22 September, more than 150 nations are also expected to grant the state of Palestine official recognition: Canada became the first G7 nation to do so. In his statement, Starmer said he hopes this move will help “to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis” and for a “two-state solution”.
In his statement, Starmer called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages and clarified that this solution is “not a reward for Hamas, because it means Hamas can have no future, no role in government and no role in security” in Palestine. The government has been clear that the UK’s move to recognise Palestinian statehood is not intended as a punishment of Israel.
Why has the UK done this now? The government had previously been reluctant to recognise Palestine, telling critics that the UK would do so at the point of “maximum impact”. But the international mood has shifted in recent months, because of Israel’s escalating attacks on the region. The UK government believes recognising Palestine in tandem with other nations – including Canada, France and Australia – will help to push Israel further towards a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the illegal occupation of the West Bank.
The US will not be among them. Starmer waited until after Donald Trump had left the UK following last week’s state visit before making this announcement. The US president emphasised at the pair’s bilateral press conference last week that he and Starmer disagree on this issue.
Domestic political factors have also influenced Starmer’s decision. The Prime Minister has been under intense pressure to recognise Palestine and take a firmer stance on Israel’s actions in Gaza from Labour backbenchers and, in more recent months, within his cabinet. The Labour leadership is walking on fragile ground after the departures of three senior figures – Angela Rayner, Peter Mandelson, and Paul Ovenden – in less than a month. The UK’s formal recognition of Palestine will likely, in part, have been intended to assuage back-bench concerns and to keep increasingly disgruntled cabinet ministers on side.
Some of Starmer’s critics have said that recognising Palestine two years into the war in Gaza is too little, too late. Others have called on the PM to go further. In a post on X, Jeremy Corbyn said: “Next, the UK should recognise the genocide in Gaza, end its complicity in crimes against humanity, and stop arming Israel.” And for some, the UK’s decision to pursue recognition is akin to rewarding Hamas for its terrorist attack on 7 October 2023.
That the UK has followed through on this decision is unlikely to force major change in Gaza. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, doesn’t pay much attention to pressure from the UK (he does, however, listen to Trump). At home, the PM may not enjoy a calmer week before Labour heads to Liverpool for its annual conference. Even so, the UK’s recognition marks a new chapter for the international effort to bring peace to Gaza.
[See also: Where are Starmer’s friends?]
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