Just hours after President Trump leaves Britain this afternoon, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to announce a monumental decision: the British government will formally recognize a Palestinian state next week at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. This pivotal move signifies a new chapter in international diplomacy.
While anticipated, this announcement still carries significant weight. Starmer had initially made recognition conditional on factors like an Israeli-Hamas cease-fire, conditions that, regrettably, remain unfulfilled.
This decision places Britain in direct opposition to the United States’ stance. Although President Trump has voiced his disapproval of recognizing a Palestinian state, he surprisingly hasn’t pressed the issue with Starmer, despite their surprisingly cordial political rapport.
During his July visit to Scotland, when questioned about Starmer’s shift towards Palestinian statehood, Trump remarked, “I’m not going to take a position; I don’t mind him taking a position. I’m looking to getting people fed right now. That’s the No. 1 position, because you have a lot of starving people.”
However, Vice President JD Vance was far less reserved, openly confirming the policy divergence during his August family vacation in Britain.
Before a meeting with then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Vance stated unequivocally, “We have no plans to recognize a Palestinian state. I don’t know what it would really mean to recognize a Palestinian state, given the lack of a functional government there.”
For Starmer, this diplomatic initiative is partly a response to pressing domestic political needs. His Labour Party, alongside a significant portion of the British public, has exerted immense pressure for this recognition, especially as Israeli military actions in Gaza intensify and the humanitarian crisis deepens.
Following in the footsteps of nations like France, Canada, and Malta, Britain is signaling its intent to recognize a Palestinian state. Yet, beyond diplomatic alignment, the profound human suffering in Gaza, conveyed through harrowing images, undeniably moved Starmer – a former human rights lawyer – to a personal breaking point on this issue.
Reflecting on the escalating crisis in July, Starmer declared, “The situation is simply intolerable. I am particularly concerned that the very idea of a two-state solution is reducing and feels further away today than it has for many years.”