Latest news with #PalestinianStatehood
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Keir Starmer must act now to recognise Palestine and end the horror in Gaza
You report that Keir Starmer is under pressure from cabinet ministers to recognise Palestinian statehood (22 July). Should not the cabinet be reminded that in October 2014 parliament overwhelmingly passed a motion calling on the government to recognise the state of Palestine? The vote – 274 in favour, 12 against – reflected strong parliamentary support across party lines. While the motion was non‑binding, it sent a clear political message that the majority of elected representatives supported Palestinian statehood. Ever since then, every prime minister has refused to implement that decision of parliament, generally saying that the time was not yet right. Surely now is the time for the prime minister to finally MiltonEmeritus professor, University of Aberdeen; senior member, Robinson College, Cambridge I think the Guardian should emblazon the last paragraph of Nick Maynard's article across the cover of tomorrow's Guardian so that everyone who enters a newsagent will be drawn to read it (I'm witnessing the deliberate starvation of Gaza's children – why is the world letting it happen?, 22 July). What more needs to happen beyond deliberate killing, enforced malnutrition and starving children for Keir Starmer to take immediate action? As Maynard rightly says: 'History will judge not just those who committed these crimes, but those who stood by and watched', and this is what we are doing, every night watching the ByrneLetchworth, Hertfordshire Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Arab News
a day ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Mayor of London urges UK government to recognize Palestinian state
LONDON: The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has urged the UK government to recognize a Palestinian state as pressure mounts from the ruling Labour Party on Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of a UN conference addressing the Palestinian question. Khan said on Wednesday that the UK government should 'immediately recognize Palestinian statehood' and asserted that there 'can be no two-state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine.' Senior Labour figures, including Wes Streeting, Shabana Mahmood, and Hilary Benn, have called on the UK government to bring forward its recognition of Palestine. The UK has consistently stated it would recognize Palestine in conjunction with allies 'at the point of maximum impact.' A rescheduled international conference will be held in New York from July 28-29, sponsored by Saudi Arabia and France, to gather support for the recognition of Palestinian statehood. The organizers postponed the gathering planned for June due to the sudden conflict between Israel and Iran that occurred in the same month. Khan's statement comes against the backdrop of starvation impacting the 2 million residents of the Gaza Strip amid ongoing Israeli attacks and aid restrictions. Khan said that 'the absolutely harrowing scenes of suffering in Gaza are being made worse by the day, with no sign of the crisis abating.' He added: 'Starving children searching hopelessly for food in the rubble; family members shot dead by Israeli soldiers as they search for aid. In heartbreaking scenes, innocent lives are being torn apart before the eyes of the world. 'The international community — including our own government – must do far more to pressure the Israeli government to stop this horrific, senseless killing and let vital lifesaving aid in. Nothing justifies the actions of the Israeli government. 'The UK must immediately recognize Palestinian statehood. There can be no two-state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine.' Khan's remarks echoed a rare intervention on foreign policy by Streeting, the health minister, during a parliamentary session on Tuesday. Streeting said: 'I sincerely hope that the international community can come together, as the foreign secretary has been driving towards, to make sure that we see an end of this war, but also that we recognize the state of Palestine while there is a state of Palestine left to recognize.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Sir Sadiq Khan calls on ministers to immediately recognise Palestinian statehood
Sir Sadiq Khan has piled pressure on the Government over Israel as he called on ministers to 'immediately recognise Palestinian statehood'. The Mayor of London said that the UK 'must do far more to pressure the Israeli government to stop this horrific senseless killing', as aid groups have warned of starvation in the Gaza Strip. It comes as the Archbishop of York labelled the situation in Gaza a 'a stain on the conscience of the international community'. More than 100 organisations including Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children have put their names to an open letter in which they said they were watching their own colleagues, as well as the Palestinians they serve, 'waste away'. 'The government of Israel's restrictions, delays and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation and death,' the letter said. In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Labour mayor Sir Sadiq said pointed to 'starving children searching hopelessly for food in the rubble' and 'family members being shot dead by Israeli soldiers as they search for aid'. 'The international community – including our own Government – must do far more to pressure the Israeli government to stop this horrific senseless killing and let vital life saving aid in,' he added. Sir Sadiq went on: 'The UK must immediately recognise Palestinian statehood. There can be no two state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine.' Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said that the mayor should 'should spend less time trying to play on the world stage' and 'focus on fixing his own mess in the capital'. Meanwhile the current most senior bishop in the Church of England has branded the infliction of 'violence, starvation and dehumanisation' on the people of Gaza by the Israeli government 'depraved and unconscionable'. Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell welcomed the UK and other nations' recent condemnation of the Israeli and US-backed current aid delivery model, which has reportedly resulted in Israel Defence Forces troops firing on Palestinian civilians in search of food on multiple occasions, but insisted there is 'no time to wait' for further action to be taken to 'stop this ongoing assault on Gaza'. He said: 'With each passing day in Gaza, the violence, starvation and dehumanisation being inflicted on the civilian population by the government of Israel becomes more depraved and unconscionable. 'In the name of God, I cry out against this barbaric assault on human life and dignity. It is a stain on the conscience of the international community, and a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law.' He repeated his call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and said he rejected 'any policy that would amount to the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population from Gaza'. World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday that people in Gaza are facing 'yet another killer on top of bombs and bullets: starvation'. On Tuesday, Wes Streeting called for recognition of Palestine 'while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise'. Speaking in the House of Commons, the Health Secretary described Israel's attacks on healthcare workers as going 'well beyond legitimate self-defence'. He told MPs he hopes 'that the international community can come together, as the Foreign Secretary has been driving towards, to make sure that we see an end to this war, but also the recognition of the state of Palestine while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise'. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has hinted that Israel could face further sanctions from the UK if it does not agree to a ceasefire. Asked by ITV's Good Morning Britain on Tuesday what more he planned to do if Israel did not agree to end the conflict, the Foreign Secretary replied: 'Well, we've announced a raft of sanctions over the last few months. 'There will be more, clearly, and we keep all of those options under consideration if we do not see a change in behaviour and the suffering that we are seeing come to an end.' Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people in the October 7 attack in 2023 that triggered the war and killed around 1,200 people. Fewer than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive.
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Israel Passes ‘Symbolic' Motion to Annex West Bank Settlements
By Israel's parliament called for the annexation of all Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a non-binding resolution that still comes as a rejection of international efforts to recognize Palestinian statehood as part of peacekeeping efforts. The motion, which passed by a 71-13 vote on Wednesday, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to designate the settlements — which most world powers consider illegal — as falling under Israeli sovereignty. About 500,000 Israelis have set up home in the West Bank alongside 3 million Palestinians, a source of underlying tension and frequent outbreaks of deadly violence.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sir Sadiq Khan calls on ministers to immediately recognise Palestinian statehood
Sir Sadiq Khan has piled pressure on the Government over Israel as he called on ministers to 'immediately recognise Palestinian statehood'. The Mayor of London said that the UK 'must do far more to pressure the Israeli government to stop this horrific senseless killing', as aid groups have warned of starvation in the Gaza Strip. It comes as the Archbishop of York labelled the situation in Gaza a 'a stain on the conscience of the international community'. More than 100 organisations including Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children have put their names to an open letter in which they said they were watching their own colleagues, as well as the Palestinians they serve, 'waste away'. 'The government of Israel's restrictions, delays and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation and death,' the letter said. In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Labour mayor Sir Sadiq said pointed to 'starving children searching hopelessly for food in the rubble' and 'family members being shot dead by Israeli soldiers as they search for aid'. 'The international community – including our own Government – must do far more to pressure the Israeli government to stop this horrific senseless killing and let vital life saving aid in,' he added. Sir Sadiq went on: 'The UK must immediately recognise Palestinian statehood. There can be no two state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine.' Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said that the mayor should 'should spend less time trying to play on the world stage' and 'focus on fixing his own mess in the capital'. Meanwhile the current most senior bishop in the Church of England has branded the infliction of 'violence, starvation and dehumanisation' on the people of Gaza by the Israeli government 'depraved and unconscionable'. Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell welcomed the UK and other nations' recent condemnation of the Israeli and US-backed current aid delivery model, which has reportedly resulted in Israel Defence Forces troops firing on Palestinian civilians in search of food on multiple occasions, but insisted there is 'no time to wait' for further action to be taken to 'stop this ongoing assault on Gaza'. He said: 'With each passing day in Gaza, the violence, starvation and dehumanisation being inflicted on the civilian population by the government of Israel becomes more depraved and unconscionable. 'In the name of God, I cry out against this barbaric assault on human life and dignity. It is a stain on the conscience of the international community, and a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law.' He repeated his call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and said he rejected 'any policy that would amount to the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population from Gaza'. On Tuesday, Wes Streeting called for recognition of Palestine 'while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise'. Speaking in the House of Commons, the Health Secretary described Israel's attacks on healthcare workers as going 'well beyond legitimate self-defence'. He told MPs he hopes 'that the international community can come together, as the Foreign Secretary has been driving towards, to make sure that we see an end to this war, but also the recognition of the state of Palestine while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise'. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has hinted that Israel could face further sanctions from the UK if it does not agree to a ceasefire. The UK must immediately recognise Palestinian statehood. There can be no two state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine. — Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) July 23, 2025 Asked by ITV's Good Morning Britain on Tuesday what more he planned to do if Israel did not agree to end the conflict, the Foreign Secretary replied: 'Well, we've announced a raft of sanctions over the last few months. 'There will be more, clearly, and we keep all of those options under consideration if we do not see a change in behaviour and the suffering that we are seeing come to an end.' Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people in the October 7 attack in 2023 that triggered the war and killed around 1,200 people. Fewer than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive.
