Keir Starmer’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state alongside France will be remembered as one of modern Britain’s great foreign policy transformations. It marks a different approach from a new generation. And it has been a long time coming.
As long ago as 2014, a majority of MPs – including me – voted to recognise Palestinian statehood. Recognition has been Labour Party policy for at least the last three general elections. The Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, has repeatedly said that he is working closely with the French, who announced their intention last week.
It is no secret that pressure has ramped up in recent weeks, as the spectre of famine in Gaza has once again led the international community to look for new ways to demonstrate its commitment to a lasting peace.
I have been saying to anyone who will listen for the better part of a year that it is time for the UK to fulfil its long-term commitment to recognition. Last week, I was one of 200 MPs of all parties to sign a letter calling on the government to do just that.
On the same day, the Foreign Affairs Committee, which I chair, published a report into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – the product of nine months’ intensive work. In that report, by majority vote, we called for the UK government to “recognise the state of Palestine while there is still a state to recognise”. We all called on the government to kick-start the political process for a two-state solution, and to demand a ceasefire and for aid to flood in.
Much of the coverage of the decision has seemed to reflect the Westminster bubble’s Vicky Pollard-like attitude to any major policy change: “Yeah-but, no-but.” When was the last time good news was simply welcomed?
A lot has been made of the so-called conditional nature of the announcement. But let’s face it: such speculation had already been killed off within 24 hours, when Benjamin Netanyahu by return of post said “no” to our demands. And so it’s likely that the UK will recognise Palestine in the autumn.
What, then, does recognition mean – both for the suffering populations of Gaza and the West Bank, and for the UK’s international standing?
The move to recognise a Palestinian state shows Netanyahu’s far-right government that the international community will not tolerate the continued bombardment of Gaza. It will not tolerate the cutting off of aid. It will not allow Gaza and the West Bank to be annexed. As well as insisting that aid is allowed in, it will take concrete steps to support the self-determination of the Palestinian people.
In my view, it is also an attempt to reach over the heads of the far-right Israeli government and speak directly to the Israeli public, a majority of which polls consistently show want peace. It tells them there are nations out there that are willing to do the hard work to secure peace.
But above all, it shows that the UK is serious about getting back into the room and building the two-state solution that both Palestinians and Israelis desperately need.
That is especially powerful coming as it does alongside our allies. Both France, with whom Britain carved up the Middle East under the Sykes-Picot treaty more than a century ago. And our allies in the Arab world, including Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, who for their part issued a statement on Tuesday night calling for Hamas to disarm and end its rule of Gaza.
No, recognition is not a stand-alone solution. But nor is it merely symbolic. It is a gigantic first step.
Next, the UK must get together with those same allies and build a peace plan. I’ve seen indications that the government is beginning to do this. It is true that Netanyahu only listens to Donald Trump. So we must leverage the strong relationship that Keir Starmer has built and present that plan to the president, who, let’s be honest, is hardly going to do the detailed work himself.
We should say, “President Trump, you have the strength of ten presidents. Show Netanyahu that peace and two states is the only solution, and there might even be a Nobel Peace Prize in it for you.”
I am not saying it will work – but it might. And, in the face of the very real threat that the Palestinian land will be annexed out of existence, surely we must try.
While we must prioritise alleviating immediate suffering, it is our duty to work to secure peace and a future for the Palestinian people. For that, there is no solution other than the two-state one.
For years, the government has held out for the point of maximum impact. That moment is now.
[See also: Emily Thornberry interview: “I want to rebuild good vibes about the UK”]
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