Just as Palestinians rose to world attention storming schools, hijacking airplanes, and even attacking the Olympics, new aspirants will try to win international support by targeting European airlines and taking European hostages.
On July 29, 2025, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the UK would unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state unless Israel and Hamas reach a ceasefire by September 2025. Days earlier, on July 24, French President Emmanuel Macron declared France’s similar intent. These decisions, rather than fostering peace, risk escalating conflict by rewarding Hamas’s terrorism.
Starmer’s stance overlooks a critical fact: Hamas, not Israel, rejects ceasefire proposals and continues to hold Israeli hostages seized on October 7, 2023, during a prior ceasefire. Claims of starvation or genocide in Gaza are misleading—images of suffering from unrelated regions like Yemen or Syria do not reflect Gaza’s reality, where the population continues to grow.
By recognizing Palestine, Starmer and Macron appear to pander to their countries’ Islamist constituencies and leftist radicals, effectively endorsing Hamas’s tactics. This move allows Hamas to transition from military defeat to a model for Palestinian politics, especially as uncertainty looms following the death of 92-year-old Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas. Far from promoting peace, creating a Palestinian state under these conditions guarantees prolonged conflict.