Starmer faces pressure from his government and Macron over Palestine recognition

Informed sources say that some cabinet ministers are expressing frustration over Starmer’s reluctance to fulfill his promise to support Palestinian statehood. The pressure is driven by the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

According to sources, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy recently urged Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy to accelerate the decision-making process.

In recent months, Macron has been trying to convince Starmer of the need for a joint recognition of Palestine.

On Thursday, Starmer stated that statehood is an inherent right of the Palestinian people and that a ceasefire would pave the way for the UK to recognize Palestine, but he did not specify any clear timeline.

Negotiations collapse

Ceasefire talks in the Gaza Strip collapsed on Thursday after the US and Israel withdrew their negotiation teams. This was a new blow to diplomatic efforts just weeks after President Donald Trump declared that an agreement was close.

Bloomberg noted that tensions within the British government over the issue have increased amid reports of mass starvation in Gaza, only two weeks after the European Union reached an agreement with Israel to increase food supplies to the occupied territory. There are growing reports of malnourished infants, hunger, and children standing in food lines.

While the Israeli government blames Hamas, the organization Doctors Without Borders and several other humanitarian groups accuse Israel of failing to meet the terms of the agreement.

European criticism

Since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, which marked the start of the war in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has also intensified its opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state, claiming it poses a security threat to Israel.

However, the devastating consequences of the Israeli invasion of Gaza - with an estimated death toll exceeding 59,000 and vast areas reduced to ruins - have prompted some of Israel’s traditional allies in Europe to voice criticism and consider trade sanctions to accelerate the end of the conflict.

Notably, the UK has suspended part of its arms exports to Israel and imposed sanctions on senior officials within Netanyahu’s administration.

Recognition may be too late

Some leading figures in the Labour Party, both publicly and privately, warn that even if the UK recognizes Palestine at the UN meeting in September, it may come too late given the scale of the destruction.

In an unusual public statement on a matter beyond his direct authority, UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the House of Commons on Tuesday that he hopes for recognition of Palestine while there is still something left to recognize.

The next day, London Mayor Sadiq Khan also called on the government to immediately recognize Palestinian statehood and urged to do much more to pressure the Israeli government.

The UK will be represented at the upcoming UN conference organized by France and Saudi Arabia in New York next week, but it has yet to decide whether Foreign Secretary David Lammy or a less senior minister will attend, sources said.

France will use the summit to discuss efforts to achieve a ceasefire and implement the two-state solution, but will officially recognize Palestine only at the UN General Assembly leaders’ meeting in September. According to sources, the UK has yet to decide whether to follow France’s lead.

In recent weeks, Lammy has said that although other countries have already recognized Palestine, his primary focus remains on alleviating suffering in the region.

“I recognize the debate on recognition, and we must move to recognition at the appropriate point,” Lammy said this week in the House of Commons in response to calls from several Labour MPs to speed up the process.

However, he added, “I do not believe in all honesty that recognition would change the situation on the ground.”

Recognition of the State of Palestine

In 1947, the UN proposed a plan to partition Palestine: to create separate Arab and Jewish states and establish a special international status for Jerusalem.

In 1948, the state of Israel was declared. Following a series of Arab-Israeli wars, Israel gained control over 77% of the territory of the former British Mandate Palestine, including most of Jerusalem. The remaining lands came under the control of Jordan and Egypt.

In 1987, a large-scale anti-Israel uprising, known as the Intifada, broke out in the Palestinian territories. Against this backdrop, on November 15, 1988, the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Yasser Arafat, declared the creation of the independent state of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital.

Algeria became the first country to recognize the newly proclaimed Palestine in November 1988. In the following weeks, most Arab countries, as well as India, Türkiye, and many African nations, made similar decisions.

A new wave of international recognition of Palestine occurred between 2010 and early 2011. Several South American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, recognized Palestine during this period.

In 2014, Sweden became the first Western European country to officially recognize Palestine. Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania also recognized the state.

Most European countries support recognition of Palestinian statehood within the borders that existed prior to the Six-Day War of 1967.

Recognition amid the Gaza war

In 2024, a new wave of international recognition of Palestine began, triggered by the armed conflict between Israel and the Hamas group that has been ongoing since October 2023.

In May 2024, Norway, Spain, and Ireland officially recognized Palestinian statehood. At the same time, Malta and Slovenia declared their readiness to take similar steps under conditions they find acceptable.

As of May 2024, Palestine’s independence has been recognized by 143 of the 193 UN member states.

Israel, on the other hand, categorically opposes the recognition of the Palestinian state and seeks full control over the disputed territories.

On Thursday, July 24, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Paris would recognize the State of Palestine this fall.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly condemned the French leader’s decision.