British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing pressure from senior members of his own government and French President Emmanuel Macron for the UK to officially recognize Palestine as a state
On Thursday, Starmer stated that “the right to a state is a non-negotiable right of the Palestinian people.” He criticized the humanitarian situation in Gaza and called for a ceasefire, but did not set a date for recognizing Palestine.
According to Bloomberg, on Friday, senior British government ministers, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, urged Starmer to act more quickly.
On Tuesday, Streeting declared in the British Parliament, where 60 Labour Party MPs also support recognition, that the UK should recognize Palestine “while there is still a Palestinian state to be recognized.” He criticized Israel’s attacks on health workers and innocent civilians.
On Thursday, Macron announced that France will recognize the State of Palestine in September during the UN General Assembly, drawing criticism from Israel and the United States.
Macron, who is co-hosting a conference in New York on a two-state solution with Saudi Arabia, has been pressuring Starmer to follow suit.
On Friday, Starmer was scheduled to speak with Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the situation in Gaza.
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Previous British governments have always said they will recognize Palestine at the “right time,” but have never defined when or how that would happen.
Science and Technology Minister Peter Kyle told Sky News on Friday that the government wants recognition, but that conditions must be created for a long-term political solution.
He emphasized that the priority now is to alleviate the “extreme and unjustified suffering” in Gaza.
Foreign Minister David Lammy also told the BBC on Tuesday that recognition should not be merely symbolic, but a step toward achieving a two-state solution, which, he said, many are trying to prevent.
Critics of unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state argue that it is merely symbolic without Israel’s cooperation and that a Palestinian state can only emerge through negotiations between the two parties.
Supporters, however, say the current Israeli government has no interest in negotiations or a two-state solution, and that diplomatic pressure is the only way forward.
A British minister, according to The Guardian, asked: “If we don’t recognize Palestine now, when will we”” London Mayor Sadiq Khan also called on Wednesday for the government to move forward with recognition.
Countries such as Norway, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia recognized Palestine after the start of the Gaza war, along with other countries outside Europe.
According to AFP, at least 142 countries already recognize or plan to recognize Palestine.
Israel rejects these initiatives, arguing that recognizing Palestine now would threaten its security and would be like “rewarding” Hamas for the October 7, 2023, attack that started the current war, especially while hostages are still being held.
Published in 07/29/2025 06h09
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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