Emily Damari, the British woman freed in January after 15 months as a Hamas hostage, has launched a scathing attack on Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to recognise the state of Palestine, saying the Prime Minister is “not standing on the right side of history.”
The 29-year-old, who was held captive in Gaza for more than a year, condemned the announcement in an Instagram post on Tuesday, hours after Starmer revealed Britain would recognise Palestinian statehood in September unless Israel met specific conditions. Damari compared the move to recognising Nazi control of occupied territories during World War II.
“Had [Starmer] been in power during World War II, would he have advocated recognition for Nazi control of occupied countries like Holland, France or Poland?” Damari wrote. “This is not diplomacy – it is a moral failure. Shame on you, Prime Minister.”
Netanyahu Warns of ‘Jihadist State’ Threat
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also delivered a fierce rebuke to the British government, accusing Starmer of rewarding Hamas’s “monstrous terrorism” and warning that the move would endanger Britain itself.
A jihadist state on Israel’s border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW,” Netanyahu wrote on social media platform X. “Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry echoed these sentiments, stating that Britain’s position shift “constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of hostages.”
September Deadline Set Amid Cabinet Pressure
Starmer’s announcement came after he recalled his Cabinet from summer recess for an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the Gaza situation. The Prime Minister confirmed Britain would recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September unless Israel takes “substantive steps” before then.
These conditions include ending what he called the “appalling situation in Gaza”, agreeing to a ceasefire, allowing UN workers to distribute aid, making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank, and committing to a “long-term sustainable peace” leading to a two-state solution.
The Palestinian people have endured terrible suffering,” Starmer said at a Downing Street press conference. “Now, in Gaza, because of a catastrophic failure of aid, we see starving babies, children too weak to stand: images that will stay with us for a lifetime.”
Lammy Receives UN Applause
Foreign Secretary David Lammy delivered the announcement at a UN conference on the two-state solution in New York, where he received loud and sustained applause from delegates. He declared that “the Netanyahu government’s rejection of a two-state solution is wrong” both morally and strategically.
It is with the hand of history on our shoulders that His Majesty’s Government intends to recognise the state of Palestine when the UN General Assembly gathers in September here in New York,” Lammy told the assembly, drawing immediate applause.
However, he later clarified to reporters that the position remained conditional: “What we have attempted to do is affect the situation on the ground, and I sincerely hope that we see a dramatic improvement to the suffering that we see and a commitment to a ceasefire.”
Damari’s Captivity Ordeal
Damari’s criticism carries particular weight given her harrowing experience as a hostage. She was kidnapped from her home on 7 October 2023 by Hamas gunmen who shot her in the hand and leg and killed her pet dog. After her release on 19 January this year alongside two other female hostages, she revealed to Starmer in a phone call that she had been detained in a UN facility but denied medical treatment during captivity.
In her Instagram post, the former hostage argued that recognising Palestine under current conditions “does not advance peace – it risks rewarding terror.
By legitimising a state entity while Hamas still controls Gaza and continues its campaign of terror, the Prime Minister is not promoting a solution; he is prolonging the conflict,” she wrote. “Recognition under these conditions emboldens extremists and undermines any hope for genuine peace. Shame on you!!!”
Cabinet Split Over Palestine Policy
The move follows intense pressure on Starmer from senior Labour figures to recognise Palestinian statehood. Cabinet members reportedly pushing for the policy included Deputy PM Angela Rayner, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, and Health Secretary Wes Streeting, according to sources.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan had also publicly called for recognition, while over 255 MPs from across the political spectrum signed a letter urging the government to take action. French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement last week that France would recognise Palestine in September added international momentum to the calls.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander defended the policy on GB News, stating it was “not about Hamas” but about providing “lasting security to both Israelis and Palestinians.” She emphasised the need to distinguish between Hamas and the Palestinian people, just as one should not conflate Israelis with their government’s actions.
Trump Distances Himself from Decision
The announcement came just one day after Starmer met President Donald Trump at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland. Trump told reporters he had not discussed the Palestine recognition plan with the British Prime Minister.
“I’m not going to take a position. I don’t mind him taking a position. I’m looking for getting people fed right now,” Trump said when asked about the move.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier criticised France’s similar announcement, calling it a “reckless decision” that “only serves Hamas propaganda” and constitutes “a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.
Conditions for Hamas Also Set
Starmer emphasised that Hamas must also meet strict conditions, stating: “Our message to the terrorists of Hamas is unchanged but unequivocal: they must immediately release all of the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza.”
The Prime Minister said Britain would “make an assessment in September on how far the parties have met these steps, but no one should have a veto over our decision.”
With approximately 140 countries already recognising Palestinian statehood, Britain and France would become the first G7 nations to do so if they follow through in September, marking a significant diplomatic shift that has already sparked fierce debate about its potential consequences for Middle East peace efforts.
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Image Credit:
Yoseph Haddad and Emily Damari – Image by Avraham Bloch, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
