Britain edging towards recognition of Palestinian state
Keir Starmer has taken the unusual decision of calling an emergency cabinet meeting, which could be held as early as Tuesday, during parliament's summer break, with the expectation that declaring Palestine a country will be top of the agenda.
With several senior cabinet members now calling for the move and with what is approaching a majority of MPs demanding it, Mr Starmer is understood to be strongly considering a change of position.
He has previously insisted UK recognition of Palestine was a question of 'when, not if' and would be part of formal steps towards a two-state solution as well as a co-ordinated international move.
But with France unilaterally declaring it would recognise Palestine, becoming the 148th country to do so, Britain's co-ordinated approach is looking tenuous.
Further pressure will mount on No 10 Downing Street on Monday as the UN holds a joint conference on a two-state solution hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy attending.
His presence will be a powerful signal that Britain could change course and Mr Lammy is understood to have been among several senior cabinet members to privately back the move.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper have also requested the government follows France's lead, it has been reported.
Gaza will dominate Mr Starmer's meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday, in which he is likely to raise the possibility of the UK recognising a Palestinian state.
The growing horror at the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where people are now starving, has given further impetus to the recognition lobby.
The number of MPs supporting the cause has increased from the 221 who signed a cross-party letter demanding recognition on Friday. Among their number are more than 130 Labour backbench MPs.
'It's a question of when we do that as part of a process,' said James Murray, a Treasury minister. But he added that recognition would have to 'galvanise change' because despite many countries having already announced the move, 'people are still suffering desperately in Gaza'.
Those in the pro-Israel lobby have criticised the proposal for being 'symbolic' and rewarding Hamas for the October 7 attacks.
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The National
9 hours ago
- The National
UK must drop conditions for Palestine recognition
Keir Starmer is coming under pressure to recognise Palestine without his scheduled delay until December as insider described the decision making process as a formality. With more than half the public now hostile to Israel's conduct of the war, the UK government should see it has the scope to formalise the decision. Public disapproval of Israel's war in Gaza is growing, a new YouGov poll found. Just over half of Britons (51 per cent) consider Israel's actions to be unjustified, but just one in five believe that it is (21 per cent). 'In practice the decision is taken,' said Sir Vincent Fean, a former Consul General to East Jerusalem, who is urging the prime minister to drop conditionally. "Recognition of Palestine is an opportunity – and a threat or punishment for no one." Mr Fean believed this was likely to impact the UK government's approach to issues beyond recognition, such as "ensuring Israeli policy in Gaza and the West Bank changes," he told The National. The UK has said it is ready to recognise Palestine in September but has given Israel weeks to meet certain conditions. Objections have been raised from all sides to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's pledge to recognise Palestine at the United National General Assembly in September. Mr Starmer told Israel that he would do so if Tel Aviv does not take steps towards ending the war and restarting a peace process by then. Many believe that recognition will go ahead, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to reject the proposal of a peace process. Foreign Office assessment The assessment on whether or not Israel has met the Prime Minister's conditions is likely to be made by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office in late September ahead of UNGA. The Cabinet Office being consulted about their conclusions, Mr Fean told The National. The decision cannot be challenged as it was taken using prerogative powers at the government's disposal. 'There won't be a committee, there is no requirement for parliament to decide,' he said. British officials are working on the 'nuts and bolts' of judging how Israel would meet the criteria set out by Mr Starmer 'and how that would be agreed or disagreed', sources told The National. Legal advisers said the resolution on recognising Palestinian statehood can be put forward to the UN General Assembly, a vote is undertaken 'and that's it'. Yet Whitehall insiders accept that unless there is a change of government in Israel or a 'change of heart from Netanyahu in the way he's prosecuting the war', they will not fulfil the British conditions. 'This is an attempt to get the peace process back on track, but it's quite clear that the Israelis don't want to go there,' a Whitehall source said. 'So Palestinian state recognition is going to happen.' With relations between Israel and Britain at possibly their lowest ebb, it is understood there will be no visit of any UK ministers to the country in the coming period. Hostage pleas Opponents of the decision include the families British hostages in Gaza, who fear that it would give Hamas an incentive to prolong the war. Members from the four families met with the FCDO on Thursday evening to raise their concerns. 'It was clear from the meeting last night that the British government's policy will not help the hostages, and could even hurt them,' said their lawyer Adam Wagner KC. 'It was made obvious to us at the meeting that … in deciding whether to go ahead with recognition, the release or otherwise of the hostages would play no part', he wrote in a statement. Political question The Labour government said it would be guided by international law in its foreign policy making. But the decision to recognise Palestine is being framed as a political question, with Business Minister Gareth Thomas telling Sky News that 'recognition of another state is a political judgment'. Nonetheless, it is likely that Mr Starmer will 'want to have legal cover' for the recognition with lawyers from the foreign office working up a 'cold, technical approach to it,' former diplomat Edmund Fitton-Brown told The National. 'They will likely set up a mechanism which will enable them to say that the British conditions have not been met,' he said. The former ambassador to Yemen suggested that UNGA was the 'least problematic forum for the upgrade' where many heads of state or government will be present in September, including Mr Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and potentially Mahmoud Abbas from the PA – if the US allows him to enter. This is not lost on critics. 'The government usually tries to shut down debate by characterising political issues as legal questions (immigration, Chagos Islands),' said Shadow Attorney General Lord David Wolfson, writing on social media. 'It's now trying to argue that recognition of a foreign state, which has always been and universally as a legal question, is only a political issue.' Earlier this week, peers and leading lawyers opposing recognition wrote to Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer, to warn that the move could break international law. Mr Hermer's office would not comment on whether or not he had advised the Government on recognition, citing a long standing convention. Conditions questioned Mr Starmer also faces pressure to recognise Palestine at UNGA but with the conditions he set out this week. The Bishop of Southwark, who is the House of Lords Lead Bishop for the Middle East said it was 'disappointing' that the recognition had been used as a 'bargaining chip.' 'The UK has a particular historical and moral duty to recognise the State of Palestine, and it is therefore disappointing that this recognition has been made conditional,' the letter said. 'The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination is not a bargaining chip, and there can be no conditions placed on it,' he wrote, in a letter cosigned by other Church of England Bishops, including Stephen Cottrell Archbishop of York. We urge the Government to move ahead with recognition of Palestine regardless of the facts on the ground.
The National
12 hours ago
- The National
More states say they will ‘recognise' Palestine, but what does this mean?
A growing number of countries in the West have said they could soon recognise Palestinian statehood as Israel becomes increasingly isolated over its war in Gaza. Fifteen countries issued a joint declaration during a UN conference this week led by France and Saudi Arabia, to push for a two-state solution. Nations including Canada and the UK are expected to make their endorsement official at the UN General Assembly in September. The US - Israel's strongest ally - remains the exception, and even moved to impose sanctions against Palestinian Authority officials, partly for their role in pursuing legal cases against Israel. But what does it actually mean to recognise Palestine? The gesture is viewed as largely symbolic but, in practice, could it be the catalyst to end decades of Israeli occupation and illegal settlement expansion? In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to former ICJ lawyer Ardi Imseis, a professor of law at Queen's University in Canada. They discuss why recognition even matters amid the ongoing war in Gaza, and how it can lead to Palestinian self-determination.
The National
a day ago
- The National
Rotterdam supports migrants despite city's far-right politics
Nowhere is the Netherlands' ambivalent relationship with migration more visible than in Rotterdam, a city known both for its diversity and its growing support for the far right. The country's largest port, Rotterdam was home to the Netherlands' first mayor of Moroccan descent. It was recently dubbed 'Europe's new capital of cool' by CNN for its outdoor art galleries and innovative architecture. But Rotterdam has also mostly been governed by far-right and populist parties since 2002 and in some neighbourhoods, far-right politician Geert Wilders won the most votes in the 2023 election. "It scares me," said Joost, a 60-year-old university professor. "Our government tells us we should have the most strict policy in the world against migrants because we don't like them. But we should be more open." History repeats itself. That's what we want to share. Fenix Museum director Anne Kremers Yet at the same time, migration is being celebrated in Rotterdam. In May, the country's first migration museum, named Fenix, opened in a restored 100-year-old port warehouse. Among the glass skyscrapers, it is hard to miss, with its double-helix staircase designed by Chinese architect Ma Yansong that leads to a rooftop platform. It is not just an impressive exploration of the past, but a living link with the changing face of the country. Asylum seekers living in Rotterdam are invited to take part in Fenix's activities. Thousands have been housed by authorities just a few kilometres west of the museum, on cruise ships that are increasingly used as a temporary housing solution because of a shortage of shelters on land. On Tuesday nights, a group of seven volunteer cooks, mostly women, serve food to up to 50 people who pay €5 for a meal. Recent dishes included Syrian mloukhieh, Yemeni mandi and Turkish kebab. Organisers hope to invite asylum seekers from the nearby ships to join its dinners. 'It's about practising Dutch but also learning to talk about who you are,' said Lai Chee Chiu, who co-ordinates the dinners through non-profit organisation Mano. Tala, a 31-year-old Syrian refugee who volunteers alongside the cooks, said her overall experience of Rotterdam has been positive. 'The group likes cooking and wants to integrate,' she said. Tala recently moved into her own apartment after living for more than a year on a cruise ship moored on the river Maas. 'The help we get in Rotterdam is unlike anything I've experienced before.' The museum's location – facing the former headquarters of the Holland America Line shipping company, where hundreds of thousands of Europeans once boarded ships bound for North America – serves as a reminder that the Dutch were once migrants, too. Common experience A labyrinth of more than 2,000 suitcases with the individual stories of their owners forms an exhibit at the museum. The oldest piece dates from 1898 and began its journey to the Netherlands aboard the Trans-Siberian Railway. Some are happy stories. Others document colonialism, exile and loss. 'I can assure you, there's a migration story to tell in every family. What we need in these times is empathy,' Fenix director Anne Kremers told The National. 'I really hope that after visiting the exhibitions the visitors feel like: 'OK, this is also about me.'' Admiring the views over the Maas river during a recent visit was Jantine, a 23-year-old Dutch music teacher. She said she felt more understanding for migrants after viewing a photo exhibit. 'You see emotions like happiness, fear or sadness. You feel yourself reflected in their eyes,' Jantine said. 'Just showing those pictures is very political, but they also don't tell you what side you should choose.' Behind the suitcases, the wall features a timeline with glimpses of Rotterdam's history. They go all the way back to the arrival in 1583, as a Protestant refugee, of Johan van der Veeken, a merchant and owner of slave ships, who later became the second richest person in the country. On the first floor, a fishing boat used in 2022 by migrants to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy stands next to a child's drawing of the Saint Louis, a ship that carried Jewish refugees in 1939 and was turned away from North America. About 239 of its 937 passengers died in the Holocaust. The museum, which is free for locals, does not aim to lecture visitors, Ms Kremers said. 'We could tell you what you should think, but it will stick with you if you experience the museum,' she said. 'History repeats itself. That's what we want to share.' Today, the central Mediterranean route via Italy has become the deadliest migration crossing in the world, with 2,500 recorded deaths or disappearances in 2023. The Dutch government collapsed in May for the second time in two years over migration after Mr Wilders issued a 10-point list of demands deemed impossible to implement. Among them: the deportation of 60,000 Syrians with residence permits. New elections have been scheduled for October. Showcasing migration as a human experience common to everyone may not explicitly address the continuing Dutch political debate on migration, but the national context is important. For the museum, direct involvement with the local community is essential. 'We think that is very important that migration is not just a story that you read about in a museum,' Ms Kremers said. 'To us, it's very important that communities in the city also have this stage to share their national holidays, their memorial days, and sometimes just their story by cooking and sharing a dinner.' The museum is an initiative of the Droom en Daad foundation, whose director Wim Pijbes used to head the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Work please Opening a museum on migration in a country increasingly hostile to the idea is a bold move that offers an alternative to the polarised political debate, said Saskia Bonjour, an associate professor in political science at the University of Amsterdam who specialises in migration. 'It's probably not a coincidence that they chose the artistic road, in which they can convey ideas without being explicit, rather than the historical or pedagogical road,' Ms Bonjour said. 'In mainstream culture, the dominant discourse is that migration is bad. National self-identification with openness and tolerance is gone.' For asylum seekers themselves, national politics feel distant, but the consequences are deeply personal. Living on a Rotterdam cruise ship is part of an application process that can take months or even years. While they wait, many migrants work by delivering food by bicycle. They bristle at their portrayal by far-right politicians as coming to the Netherlands to live off the state. 'We are here to work. We are not here to live off aid,' said Haitham, 30, from Syria. An Arabic teacher, he cannot teach without being fluent in Dutch, but also has no access to free Dutch classes because he is older than the age limit of 25. They all dispute Mr Wilders's claims that Syria is safe to return to following the fall of the Assad regime. 'He should read the reports,' said Haitham, citing recent killings. These include the deaths in March of nearly 1,500 people at the hands of groups linked to the Syrian government. Last month, more than 1,300 people died in southern Syria in clashes between Druze fighters, tribal groups and government forces. Standing beside Haitham, a Kurdish Syrian man in his thirties who did not give his name said he hopes to reunite with his wife and three children in Turkey. 'I came here to feel like I'm treated like a human being,' he said. Yet even among Fenix's most empathetic visitors, there is little awareness that the Dutch may have experienced similar feelings, albeit in a different historical context. 'It doesn't relate to me on a personal level at all, because I don't really have migration in my family,' said Jantine, a Rotterdam resident. 'I don't know if I'm the right audience, because I already think that immigrants should be welcomed.' Asked if the museum might change minds, she was uncertain. 'I don't know if it gets a lot of visitors on the other side of the political spectrum,' she said. 'When I look around, I think there's a lot of really tolerant people already.' Back outside, Joost acknowledged that migration is a difficult conversation as he snapped a picture of the former Holland America building opposite, now a hotel. 'You can see that here in Rotterdam, there are so many people living from so many nationalities. On the one hand, it's perfect. At the same time, it's a problem for a lot of people,' he said. 'We wanted to be a country of tolerance and openness, but now populists say we must protect our prosperity.' Still, many believe that Rotterdam's multicultural past, and future, will endure. 'There is place for everyone,' said Mano's Ms Chiu. 'But nobody knows what the future will look like.'
