British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing widespread criticism after he announced on Tuesday that the U.K. is prepared to recognize a Palestinian state — but only if Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues and Israel does not agree to a ceasefire.
Starmer said that the U.K. will recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel ends its genocide and “commits to a long-term peace process” focused on a two-state solution. In a filmed statement, he speaks to the “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza, but does not name Israel as the perpetrator of the ongoing famine, despite Israel’s systematic dismantling of the humanitarian aid system in Gaza over the past 22 months.
Announcing the decision to his cabinet, Starmer “reiterated that there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas and that our demands on Hamas remain, that they must release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, accept that they will play no role in the government of Gaza, and disarm,” a statement by the government said.
Palestinians and advocates for Palestinian rights have decried the announcement for using Palestinian statehood as a bargaining chip, telling Palestinians that the only way they can be granted a state is if their suffering continues.
“What a horrible, horrible statement! To The Hague, there he must be,” said Gaza journalist Abubaker Abed.
“Not a single time he named the perpetrators Israel for the starving babies or the catastrophic humanitarian crisis,” Abed went on, saying that Starmer makes it sound like “aid was cut off arbitrarily, babies were starved naturally, and people suffered unintentionally.”
U.K. activist group Palestine Solidarity Campaign condemned the announcement, saying that it only gives Israel more power to make decisions on Palestinian statehood, while completely cutting Palestinians out of the equation.
“Keir Starmer, who refuses even to recognise that Israel is violating international law in Gaza, is offering to recognise a Palestinian state if, and only if, Israel’s starvation and atrocities are still ongoing in two months’ time,” the campaign said. “If not, what is now being presented as a step towards recognising the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination will be rescinded. His grotesque message to Palestinians is that state recognition may come, but only if and when many, many more of you are dead.”
Left-wing U.K. politicians also criticized the announcement.
“Palestinian statehood is not a bargaining chip. It is not a threat. It is an inalienable right of the Palestinian people,” said Member of Parliament Jeremy Corbyn. “Our demands on this shameful government remain the same: end all arms sales to Israel, impose widespread sanctions, and stop the genocide, now.”Starmer and other European leaders have faced scrutiny recently for putting out statements supposedly condemning Israel’s violence in Gaza without taking action to stop it.
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