Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian state in a major foreign policy shift, delivering the historic declaration via a pre-recorded social media video rather than facing journalists’ questions at a press conference.
The announcement, posted to X on Sunday, comes ahead of this week’s UN General Assembly where Australia and Canada are expected to make similar declarations. Both the Israeli and US governments immediately condemned the decision as a diplomatic gift to Hamas that rewards terrorism.
In his video message, the Prime Minister acknowledged the move would not end Gaza’s humanitarian crisis but insisted it was necessary to preserve hope for peace. “In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and a two-state solution,” Starmer said. “That means a safe and secure Israel, alongside a viable Palestinian state. At the moment, we have neither.”
The Prime Minister’s decision to avoid a live press conference where he would face questioning about the controversial move has drawn criticism from those who argue the gravity of such a historic policy shift demanded proper scrutiny and public accountability.
Balancing Act Between Condemnation and Recognition
Starmer attempted to strike a careful balance in his announcement, condemning Hamas whilst criticising Israel’s conduct in Gaza. He described Hamas as a “brutal, terror organisation” whose “hateful vision” was incompatible with peace, confirming the government would impose additional sanctions on Hamas figures in coming weeks.
“Let’s be frank. Hamas is a brutal, terror organisation. Our call for a two-state solution is the exact opposite of their hateful vision. It means Hamas can have no future. No role in Government. No role in security,” the Prime Minister stated, referencing his meetings with British families of hostages still held in Gaza.
He spoke emotionally about hostages shown “suffering and emaciated” in recent images, noting Hamas had even “refused to release all the bodies of the dead.” The Prime Minister pledged: “The hostages must be released immediately and we will keep fighting to bring them home.”
However, Starmer was equally critical of Israel’s military campaign, describing the “relentless and increasing bombardment of Gaza” as “utterly intolerable.” He cited the tens of thousands killed and called the humanitarian situation a “man-made crisis” reaching “new depths.”
Israeli Fury at ‘Absurd’ Decision
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu branded the recognition “absurd” and “simply a reward for terrorism,” reflecting widespread anger in Israel at what officials see as capitulation to Palestinian violence rather than support for negotiated peace.
The timing is particularly sensitive given ongoing military operations in Gaza City that UN officials have described as “cataclysmic,” forcing hundreds of thousands to flee. This week, a UN commission concluded Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, findings Israel rejected as “distorted and false.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism delivered a scathing response, calling it “Sir Keir Starmer’s Neville Chamberlain moment” – a reference to the British Prime Minister who pursued appeasement with Nazi Germany.
“Apparently the promises to do ‘everything possible’ to bring the hostages home meant nothing,” the organisation stated. The Government could make recognition conditional on the return of the hostages — at the absolute very least — but Sir Keir refuses even to do that, so urgent is the need to delight terrorists and their supporters.
The group added: “The message could not be clearer: murder, rape, kidnapping and indoctrination are legitimate paths to diplomatic gain — Hamas leaders have called this moment ‘the fruit of 7th October’.”
Settlement Expansion and the E1 Crisis
Starmer directly linked recognition to Israeli settlement expansion, particularly the controversial E1 project approved in August that would effectively split the West Bank in two. With the actions of Hamas, the Israeli Government escalating the conflict and settlement building being accelerated in the West Bank, the hope of a two-state solution is fading. We cannot let that light go out,” he said.
The E1 development would build 3,400 homes in a corridor connecting the illegal settlement of Ma’ale Adumim to occupied East Jerusalem, severing Palestinian cities and making a contiguous Palestinian state virtually impossible. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich celebrated its approval as “burying” the two-state solution.
More than 700,000 Israeli settlers now live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, in settlements considered illegal under international law. The expansion has accelerated despite international condemnation, with 112 demolition orders issued for Palestinian homes and businesses in the E1 corridor alone.
Humanitarian Action Alongside Recognition
The Prime Minister announced concrete humanitarian measures alongside recognition, confirming the first group of sick and injured Palestinian children had been evacuated to Britain for NHS treatment. He demanded Israel “lift the unacceptable restrictions at the border” and “stop these cruel tactics and let aid surge in.”
“We continue to increase our humanitarian support, but still, nowhere near enough aid is getting through,” Starmer said, calling on Israel to allow humanitarian assistance to flow freely.
The government has acknowledged that recognition alone will not resolve the crisis. Ministers argue, however, that it represents a crucial diplomatic step to preserve the viability of a two-state solution as the only path to lasting peace.
International Context
Britain joins 147 UN member states already recognising Palestine, with Western nations increasingly shifting position. France announced similar plans in July, whilst Portugal confirmed recognition on Sunday. Australia, Canada, Luxembourg, Malta, Belgium, Andorra and San Marino are expected to follow at the UN General Assembly.
The wave of recognitions follows mounting international criticism of Israel’s Gaza campaign. The UN commission’s genocide finding this week represents the most authoritative determination to date, citing the killing of unprecedented numbers of Palestinians, starvation conditions, systematic destruction of healthcare and education, and direct targeting of children.
US opposition remains firm, with the State Department likely to echo Israeli criticism that recognition rewards terrorism. President Donald Trump, who met Starmer last week and urged military action against immigration, has not reaffirmed support for a two-state solution since taking office.
Political Fallout
Starmer’s decision to announce via video rather than press conference has raised questions about his willingness to defend the policy publicly. Critics argue such a momentous shift demanded proper parliamentary debate and media scrutiny rather than a one-way social media broadcast.
The Prime Minister faces pressure from multiple directions. His party’s left wing has long advocated Palestinian recognition, whilst Jewish community groups and Israel supporters feel betrayed. The Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Chamberlain comparison reflects deep anger among those who see recognition as abandoning Israel whilst hostages remain in Gaza.
Government sources defend the decision as preserving hope for peace when all other options are exhausted. With the two-state solution “fading” amid settlement expansion and Gaza’s devastation, ministers believe diplomatic action cannot wait for perfect conditions that may never arrive.
What Recognition Means
Legally, recognition allows Palestine to pursue claims in international courts and strengthens its position at bodies like the International Criminal Court. Diplomatically, it adds weight to Palestinian sovereignty claims and increases pressure on Israel to engage in meaningful negotiations.
Practically, the UK will likely upgrade Palestinian diplomatic representation and expand bilateral cooperation. However, with Palestine’s territory fragmented between Gaza and the West Bank, and governance split between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, the concrete implications remain unclear.
Starmer insisted recognition was “the exact opposite” of Hamas’s vision, emphasising it meant the terror group could have “no future” in Palestinian governance. This attempt to separate support for Palestinian statehood from endorsement of Hamas may not convince critics who see any recognition as rewarding October 7th’s violence.
Historic Shift
The announcement represents Britain’s most significant Middle East policy change in decades. Successive governments maintained recognition should only come through negotiations, effectively granting Israel veto power over Palestinian aspirations.
By acting unilaterally, Starmer breaks with this consensus, arguing that waiting for Israeli agreement means accepting indefinite occupation. With over 64,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza according to health officials, ministers believe traditional diplomatic approaches have failed.
The Prime Minister’s video concluded with an appeal to shared humanity: “Ordinary people, Israeli and Palestinian, deserve to live in peace. To try and rebuild their lives free from violence and suffering. That is what the British people desperately want to see.”
Whether recognition helps achieve that goal or, as critics claim, rewards terrorism and undermines peace, remains to be seen. What’s certain is that Starmer has crossed a diplomatic Rubicon that cannot easily be reversed, fundamentally altering Britain’s position in one of the world’s most intractable conflicts.
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