What would UK recognition of Palestine mean for crisis in Gaza?
Keir Starmer's announcement that the UK is prepared to recognise an independent state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly meeting in September has been awaited, at least by some in the region, for decades.
That's how long the idea of a two-state solution to the conflict at the heart of the Middle East has been in circulation. Lately, though, the term has felt hollow and lopsided.
There aren't two states at the negotiating table. When the Middle East peace process felt vibrant and hopeful, there were at least the makings of a Palestinian state. But peace is now a distant memory, and Gaza is in ruins, and starving.
So the Prime Minister's statement may have been symbolic, but it was still significant. There are now two members of the UN Security Council prepared to recognise Palestine – with the UK joining France in stating its intentions. As the former colonial power in the region, and the closest ally of the United States to do so, the UK's statement carries the greatest weight.
It's striking that Starmer chose to call his emergency cabinet meeting and make that statement, a day after meeting US President Donald Trump in Scotland. The US does not want its allies recognising Palestine – indeed, Trump pulled his negotiators out of ceasefire talks just days ago, saying Hamas doesn't want a deal.
But there has been a diplomatic and political shift taking place, as distressing images of starving children have emerged from Gaza, and warnings from aid agencies have grown about a looming, deadly famine.
The fact that Trump was willing to publicly disagree with America's ally, Israel, on the steps of his Turnberry golf resort, in front of the world's TV cameras, and say that children were going hungry in Gaza, showed just how far global opinion has shifted.
The UK Government now sees an opening to use recognition of Palestinian statehood as leverage, with Israel, but primarily with the US. Even before the threat of recognition was confirmed, the Israeli Government had begun loosening its grip on the flow of aid into Gaza. Under American pressure, the hope is that more aid will be allowed through – but according to aid agencies, it will have to be much more, to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.
At the same time, it's also true that yesterday's announcement was about domestic politics. A third of MPs have signed a letter demanding recognition of Palestinian statehood, most of them Labour MPs. Privately, a number of cabinet ministers are reported to agree. The Prime Minister couldn't ignore that pressure forever.
The SNP and Liberal Democrats argue that Palestinian statehood shouldn't be used as a bargaining chip; on the other side of the debate, the Conservatives and Reform agree with the Israeli Government that the announcement is a reward for Hamas and an incentive to hang on to the remaining Israeli hostages.
For Starmer's announcement to not just be symbolic – for it to be a return to a peace process in the Middle East, and the start of a two-state solution – a great deal else will have to happen.
The Prime Minister set conditions for both sides for British recognition of a Palestinian state to happen, that neither will be happy to agree to: abandoning claims on West Bank land for the Israelis; for Hamas, disarmament and its effective disbanding. From where things stand now, those demands don't seem realistic.
Ultimately, the decision over how this conflict unfolds, and whether it ends, rests with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Increasingly, world powers are coming to the conclusion that recognition of Palestine is the only way to get his attention.
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
33 minutes ago
- The Guardian
More than 40 protesting Gaza genocide arrested at Trump hotel in New York
More than 40 people protesting the genocide and worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza were arrested outside the Trump International hotel in New York City on Monday evening. The protest, organized by IfNotNow, a Jewish-American anti-occupation group, had begun earlier in the evening at Columbus Circle. Hundreds gathered under the banner 'Trump: Jews Say No More' to demand an end to the genocide in Gaza and that the Trump administration pressure Israel to allow greater humanitarian aid to enter into territory, as health officials there continue to report deaths from starvation and malnutrition. 'Let's not mince words, the Israeli government's blockade of Gaza is a policy of ethnic cleansing by way of forced mass starvation,' said Morriah Kaplan, IfNotNow's interim executive director, during her speech to the crowd. 'It is an unbearable, unspeakable, unfathomable affront to our shared humanity and those who are carrying it out and are deploying our Jewish symbols, language and traditions to defend and justify it, which is why I'm heartened to see such a range of Jews and Jewish organizations coming together today to say with one voice that we oppose these atrocities, not in spite of our Judaism, but for many of us, because of it.' 'We need the US government to use its considerable leverage to end these horrors,' she added. Protesters held signs that read 'stop ethnic cleansing', 'never again is now' 'stop starving Gaza' and 'not in our name' and speakers included Ruth Messinger, Rabbi Jill Jacobs, the T'ruah CEO, and Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller. 'Yesterday was the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av in which Jews mourn the destruction of the people of Israel,' Lander said, 'and what we're witnessing right now is destruction caused by the State of Israel.' 'Its been going on for many months,' he added. 'But to witness forced mass starvation, emaciated children and starving of families, on top of all the bombing and destruction and displacement, it is necessary for Jews to cry out louder, to do more organizing to make sure that we stop sending offensive weapons and bombs and guns that we demand an end to what Israel is doing in Gaza. That's why we're here tonight.' Also in attendance was Lily Greenberg Call, a former special assistant to the chief of staff at the US Department of the Interior under the Biden-Harris administration who publicly resigned in protest in May 2024 over the administration's handling of the war in Gaza. 'I was the first, and unfortunately the only official Jewish official to publicly resign in protest of the administration's unconditional support for Israel during the war in Gaza,' Greenberg Call said in an interview with Guardian. Greenberg Call said that she was noticing new people among the crowd protesting Israel's genocide in Gaza. 'There is something shifting,' she said. 'Showing up is really important, and our role as Americans especially – our government and our tax dollars are funding this.' 'We have an obligation, specifically as American Jews, to stand up against what's happening in our name,' Greenberg Call added. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion Palestinian photojournalist, Motaz Azaiza, was also in the crowd and delivered brief remarks. Just after 8pm, the group began walking to the Trump International hotel. They gathered in front of the hotel, sitting in the street, singing and chanting. Around 8.15pm ET, New York police department officers began arresting protesters for blocking the street. It was unclear as of 9pm ET how many people were arrested but the Guardian counted at least more than 40 people. Those arrested were loaded on to police vans and the crowd dispersed shortly after. In a press release issued after the arrests occurred, IfNotNow said that this mobilization marked 'the broadest tent coalition in the Jewish community against the atrocities in Gaza in the last two years, representing the vast majority of US Jews who are outraged by the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza'.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
'Government needs to get a grip': Southport residents say they STILL fear anti-migrant riots one year on from violence... and they aren't alone
Tearful Southport locals are living in fear there could be a repeat of the anti-migrant riots and have told Labour to get a grip on immigration. Violent scenes that shamed Britain last year were sparked by misinformation on social media following the triple stabbing murders of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9. Now, more than 12 months later, terrified residents are pointing the finger at Sir Keir Starmer for being too weak and have told the Daily Mail the PM has not done enough to prevent further disorder. One elderly lady, standing just yards from the mosque on Sussex Road where most of the violence occurred, broke down when asked what she remembers. 'I'm sorry,' she says, 'I'm sorry. It's just too painful.' She is not the only one still feeling the effects of the July 30 disorder last year which left many local people fearing for their lives as a large crowd gathered on the street. Janet McCormick, 62, remembers the riot well, living just doors away from the centre of it. Like many people interviewed, her eyes glaze over as she recalls the events of that night. 'It was a terrible time,' she says. 'The rioters were right outside my home, lighting fires and throwing bricks. 'It was terrifying for people living around here. No-one was sure what was going to happen and the police appeared to be outnumbered. 'It was a horrible thing to witness. I was angry last year at people for being so stupid that they believed every rumour they heard. 'I kept telling them they were being racist, that they should think for themselves but you could see what was driving them on. 'Sadly I do not think the Government has done enough to prevent another riot, not here but I can see it happening in other parts of the country. 'I think people think we should have someone waiting on the shore for the boats to arrive and have the power to send them straight back. 'People can't understand why that is not happening. It's no use telling us about human rights because this is affecting everyone. 'Illegal immigration is killing this country. It is putting a vast strain on the NHS and welfare and schools because too many people are coming into the country and we can't cope. 'I keep reading about how much money we are paying the French to stop asylum seekers crossing the Channel but the boats are still coming. 'Somebody has to address the problem. I don't want to see or read about another riot like we had in Southport but the Government must get a grip.' Businesswoman Kimberley Parker, 37, runs pet groomers Glad Wags just down from the mosque. Liberal in her views, she blamed the riot on 'bigotry and ignorance' and was particularly upset that the rioters targeted a hard-working Asian family who run a local shop doors away from her own. 'The thugs who raided their shop went for the alcohol and cigarettes and got away with more than £10,000,' she says. 'I was just very disappointed in my fellow human beings. The only good thing is that the riot brought his all closer together in Southport, especially around here. 'That was the one big positive to come out of it all. 'But the hard truth is that people will read and accept lies as the truth and I suppose that is because they want to. 'And we have to accept that people are now angry for all sorts of reasons and one of them I think is because they don't see the Government as very strong. It bends too easily. 'On the one hand we are getting misinformation from social media about the dangers of illegal immigration and on the other we are not getting enough information from the Government over how many immigrants are arriving here and what they intend to do about it. 'I don't think Starmer is being proactive enough. 'We need to sort out what is going on. For example, a lot of the people coming across on boats are losing their passports so they cannot be deported because no-one knows where they came from. 'That should be sorted immediately. If you don't have a passport you should be unable to claim asylum and that should be the hard and fast rule. 'The Government need to work with us to calm our fears. Of course people here are frightened of those from different cultures with backgrounds they don't know about. 'Starmer has to understand that and he has got to have a policy that we understand. 'I do hold liberal views but I do realise you cannot have uncontrolled immigration without it having a knock on effect on every part of out lives. 'I do fear there could be further riots in the country but I hope that there isn't. 'I think that since the riot last year we have become closer in Southport but I think what is going on in the rest of the country is a shambles. 'It appears to me that the Government is spending all its time papering over the cracks instead of facing up to problems and doing something about them.' Roofer Craig Johnson, 37, witnessed the riot at first hand with most of it happening outside his front door. 'I was speechless at first,' he says. 'It was horrific to watch. 'The rioters were pulling down the garden walls and using the bricks to throw at the mosque and at police. 'I was one of those who came out the next day and help re-build the walls around here. 'But I don't think the Government is doing enough to stop another riot happening somewhere else. They are not facing up to the immigration problem. 'If you ask me, the sooner Farage gets in the better. 'What do I think Starmer should do? I think the best thing he could do is resign.' Meanwhile, in Tamworth a year ago a rioting mob descended on the old historic town where they tried to set fire to a Holiday Inn which was housing migrants. Hundreds of people gathered as a group of masked thugs threw a burning bush inside the side entrance, while onlookers filmed, cheered and clinked their beer bottles Adam Goodfellow, 39, a surveyor who stood in Tamworth at last year's General Election for the Workers Party, said: 'I came down here when I heard there was a protest being planned, just to say that these people don't speak for all of Tamworth. 'There were a gang of people shouting at the police and it had been going for a good hour when they started throwing fireworks and it got scary. 'Personally I believe uncontrolled immigration is damaging to working peoples' interests. I also believe that when things aren't going so well, people look for scapegoats and there is a lot of hearsay on social media. 'If there is lawlessness then you need more police whoever is committing the crime. 'A year on and nothing has changed under Labour, people are still massively concerned which is why Reform won every seat at the recent elections. 'The only change at the hotel seems to be permanent security guards on reception which shows there is still a high level of threat and concern.' Claire Mitchell, 51, a Tamworth local and a regular gym-goer, said: 'What happened a year ago was horrific to see. I was ashamed and surprised. I did not think Tamworth was that sort of place. 'I don't believe everything I read on social media. There are people with agendas seeking to sew division. 'I have seen people from the hotel sitting around the lake and passing the time of day like anyone else might. It is not something I get concerned about. 'Fake news is a terrible thing and the riots we saw last year were prompted by that. 'Tamworth is a great place. I was brought up here and it has so much more to offer than the terrible behaviour of a minority. I find it sad that its reputation has been tarnished in this way. 'A year on, I do not think it matters which political party is in power. 'For me, anyone who risks their life getting on a dinghy to cross the sea has got something to run from. 'There will always be some who take advantage of a humanitarian situation but we must not let that blind us.' Retired IT guy and gym-goer Alex Freeman, 72, said: 'Whatever your opinion of the immigration situation, there is no excuse for threatening people's welfare and damaging property and that's what happened last year. 'I don't mind peaceful protest but that was threatening harm to other human beings and that is just wrong. 'I am anti the boats, I think immigration should be controlled and if you do something illegal then you shouldn't end up being given free stuff in a hotel. 'It's difficult. These are obviously desperate people but this country is not so big. 'It annoys me when I see homeless people in this country and then I think these people in the hotels have travelled across multiple countries to get to the UK. 'Why are they doing this? I know France and Germany take a lot in but I don't think they are treated as nicely as we treat them. 'We have limited resources – we have a broken NHS, potholes everywhere and we're constantly being told there is not enough money, so of course people are going to be angry. 'This is a terrible situation. 'I don't have any reason to think the people in the hotel are any different or worse than anyone else. 'I see them doing things we all do – going to the lake, looking at the ducks. If some do naughty stuff then that is rare just as it is rare when one of us commits a crime. 'And I know they are a tiny fraction of overall immigration. They get a lot of attention but they are not the ones breaking our system.' A 36-year-old mother of three, and regular gym goer, said: 'I do feel a little bit unsafe in the dark evenings. I park a bit closer to the entrance because the hotel is full of males and they hang around with nothing to do and it does make you feel on edge. 'I did not agree with the protests. Violence is never the answer but people don't feel listened to so it is difficult. 'Yes, you feel unsafe but I also feel a bit sorry for them. Where are they meant to go? 'I saw more police around now than I did before last year's trouble but I don't know whether that is to keep everyone safe or because something has happened. 'There is a lot of hearsay, a lot of rumours. I hear about women being cat-called but I have never have anything like that happen to me personally so it is a difficult one to judge.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Class warfare is back under this spiteful government – and we will ALL end up paying a ruinous price: LEO MCKINSTRY
The current government is increasingly running not on a desire to improve the country, or out of any kind of political mission - but on sheer spite. Having failed to achieve the elusive economic 'growth' he and his inept Chancellor Rachel Reeves promised before the election, Sir Keir Starmer is now trying to revive his fortunes by stoking class envy.
