On 24 July 2025, following an urgent discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding recognition of the State of Palestine, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that such recognition must be part of a “broad plan ultimately leading to a two-state solution.”
Just five days later, on Tuesday 29 July 2025, Starmer emerged dramatically from his Downing Street office after an extraordinary 90-minute cabinet meeting to deliver a statement to the British people and the world. He announced his government’s intention to recognise the State of Palestine at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in mid-September.
Conditional Recognition
Many analysts, including Ian Dunt, a columnist for the i newspaper, described the speech as “principled and historic,” although it was deemed insufficient in light of the scale of the crisis. The statement was laced with conditions and threats directed at both Israel and Hamas.
Starmer declared that recognition would proceed unless Israel took “major steps to alleviate suffering in Gaza, agreed to a ceasefire, and committed to a lasting peace”—meaning that if Israel met those conditions, Britain would not recognise Palestine. At the same time, he demanded that Hamas release all hostages and remove itself from any future governing arrangements in Gaza.
Explaining the shift from his earlier position, Starmer said his new stance was driven by a growing conviction that “the chances of achieving [a broad plan leading to a two-state solution] are almost disappearing.”
Political and Media Reactions
Responses ranged from outright opposition to cautious support, with many questioning Starmer’s intentions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the move, echoed by U.S. Secretary of State and a range of pro-Israeli political blocs and media outlets such as The Daily Telegraph, which repeated Netanyahu’s claim that “Starmer is rewarding Hamas in Palestine.” The Times and Daily Mail adopted a similar tone.
In Parliament’s upper chamber, 40 members of the House of Lords warned the UK Attorney General that recognising Palestine would violate international law. The Board of Deputies of British Jews convened an emergency meeting and announced it would meet with the government to clarify the position.
On the other side, pro-Palestinian advocates welcomed the decision while criticising Starmer’s conditions. They called for a tougher stance, including a total arms embargo on Israel, suspension of the UK-Israel trade partnership, and coordinated pressure on other European states to adopt the same measures.
Domestic Political Pressure
Starmer faces mounting pressure from within the Labour Party and the government. According to the BBC, more than 220 MPs from nine parties—half of them Labour—signed a letter urging recognition of Palestine. Prominent government figures supporting this stance include Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Environment Secretary Ed Miliband (a former Labour leader), Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, and Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
Public sentiment is also shifting. A YouGov poll on 18 June 2025 showed rising support among Britons for an immediate ceasefire, an arms embargo on Israel, enforcement of the International Court of Justice arrest warrant against the Israeli Prime Minister, and formal recognition of Palestine.
The pressure is amplified by internal Labour unrest over domestic policies such as recent cuts to welfare support—opposed by 47 Labour MPs—and underperformance in areas like immigration reduction. Many of the MPs resisting these domestic policies are also among the strongest pro-Palestinian voices in the party.
Some observers see Starmer’s announcement as an attempt to absorb discontent among Labour’s left-leaning base, where criticism of internal policy often overlaps with strong advocacy for Palestinian rights.
Defence of the Policy
Emily Thornberry, Chair of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, defended the government’s position in a News Agents podcast interview the day after Starmer’s speech. She insisted recognition would proceed on schedule, predicting Israel would not meet Starmer’s stated conditions.
Thornberry argued that Britain’s move was part of a broader diplomatic push—led by Saudi Arabia, France, and the UK—to break the deadlock in a two-state peace process.
Britain’s Historical Role in Palestine
Moments like these invite reflection on Britain’s long and controversial history with Palestine, marked by colonial policies that laid the foundations of today’s crisis.
During the First World War, Prime Minister David Lloyd George took personal interest in General Allenby’s campaign, culminating in the British occupation of Jerusalem on 11 December 1917—presented as a “Christmas gift” to the British public. In a 1920 speech, Lloyd George recalled:
“As a boy, I was taught far more about the history of the Jews than about the history of my own land… Palestine was the land of the Bible and of my Sunday school.”
This spirit has shaped British policy towards Palestine since the Crusades led by King Richard the Lionheart. In modern times, former Prime Minister Tony Blair—who served from 1997 to 2007—was appointed Middle East Quartet envoy (representing the U.S., UK, EU, and Russia). During his eight-year tenure, critics such as journalist Peter Oborne accused him of seeing “British and Israeli interests as identical” and refusing even to call for a ceasefire.
The Lamy Intervention
Following Starmer’s statement, Foreign Secretary David Lammy addressed a high-level UN conference in New York (28–30 July 2025) aimed at advancing concrete steps towards a two-state solution. His remarks were met with strong applause from Arab foreign ministers and a Palestinian Authority representative when he confirmed the UK’s intent to recognise Palestine.
Lammy reminded delegates that his predecessor, Arthur Balfour, had in 1917 pledged support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine, but had also promised that “nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine.”
He added: “That pledge was never fulfilled. This is a historic tragedy still unfolding today.”
U.S. Reaction and the Limits of Change
Sceptics see these acknowledgements by Starmer and Lammy as last-minute manoeuvres, especially given that the U.S. remains unwavering in its support for Israel. Thornberry noted that during her recent meetings in Washington, she found no member of Congress willing to discuss Gaza. Reuters reported on 31 July 2025 that the U.S. State Department had decided to bar Palestinian Authority and PLO representatives from entering U.S. territory.
While most analysts agree that the UK’s decision alone will not change realities on the ground, the joint recognition by Britain and France adds momentum to an existing bloc of over 150 UN member states that recognise Palestine. It could also give the current U.S. administration—led by Donald Trump, who met Starmer one day before the announcement—a chance to signal at least symbolic disapproval of Israel’s far-right government, which continues to commit grave crimes against a people entitled to live on their land with dignity and freedom.
