Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced the UK will formally recognise the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September — a major shift in foreign policy that has sparked outrage in Israel and deep divisions in Westminster.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the move as a “reward for terrorism,” while Dame Priti Patel accuses Starmer of appeasing Labour backbenchers. Deputy Editor of Spiked, Fraser Myers, says Starmer has managed to alienate both sides of the debate.
Meanwhile, Labour ministers defend the policy as a step toward peace and a response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. But critics question whether Palestine is even a viable state, and whether this decision will embolden Hamas or weaken UK-Israel relations.