Labour MPs and peers call on UK Government to recognise Palestine
It has reportedly been written by Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East chairs Andrew Pakes and Sarah Owen.
It tells Starmer to take the 'unique window of opportunity' to join with France at a conference in June to do recognise Palestine, which Emmanuel Macron has hinted he will do.
Number 10 has not responded to the letter so far and the Government position is still only to recognise Palestine at a time when it would help the peace process.
READ MORE: Yvette Cooper squirms in GMB grilling on Keir Starmer speech
But Foreign Secretary David Lammy has already confirmed that the UK is in discussion with France over its upcoming conference and a possible recognition process.
Speaking to the Lords international relations select committee earlier this month, Lammy said the UK wanted to take the step when it would have an impact on the ground and not at a symbolic moment, adding that he believed some European countries' recognition of Palestine recently had not had any effect.
When reminded that 160 states had now recognised Palestine, including most recently Spain, Norway and Ireland, Lammy said: 'No one has a veto on when the UK recognises that Palestinian state … We have always said that recognition is not an end in of itself and we will prefer recognition as a part of a process to two states.
'President Macron has had a lot to say about that, most recently, alongside the Saudis, and of course we are in discussion with them at this time.'
The latest speculation about the recognition of a Palestinian state started when French president Emmanuel Macron (below) returned from a trip to Egypt last month and said France would probably recognise a Palestinian state at the June conference.
(Image: LUDOVIC MARIN, POOL/AFP via Getty Images) It would be the first recognition of Palestine by a G7 member state.
Macron later clarified that the move would be intended to 'trigger a series of other recognitions … including the recognition of Israel by states that do not currently do so'.
Dozens of MPs have also called for Lammy to face Parliament over allegations he 'misled' the public about Labour allowing weapons exports to Israel.
The Israeli government has been credibly accused of committing genocide in Gaza by international experts including Amnesty International, and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is wanted for arrest by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.
READ MORE: Ian Murray's 'Farage is smiling' attack back to haunt him
In order to avoid complicity in breaches of international law, Labour suspended 30 of around 350 arms export licences to Israel in September 2024, with Lammy claiming the remaining licences – other than parts for F-35 jets – related to equipment that was 'defensive in nature' and would not be used in Gaza.
However, a report published this week, from Palestinian Youth Movement, Progressive International, and Workers for a Free Palestine, has called Lammy's claims into question.
The research used Israeli tax authority import data and found that, since September 2024, a total of 8630 items were exported from the UK under the category 'bombs, grenades, torpedoes, mines, missiles and similar munitions of war and parts thereof – other'.
Four shipments were also made after September of 146 items under a customs code identified as 'tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, motorised, whether or not fitted with weapons, and parts of such vehicles'.
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