How cabinet pressure drove Starmer towards recognising Palestine
There were some caveats. The prime minister said the UK could back away from recognition if Israel reached a ceasefire, backed a two-state solution and agreed not to annex the West Bank. In reality, though, the ultimatum was rhetorical. Starmer knows that there is no chance that Israel will make such significant concessions.
All this means that, come September, Britain will join France at the UN general assembly in recognising a Palestinian state. The prime minister hopes that the two nations will not be alone. He wants recognition to have the 'maximum impact', and plans a concerted diplomatic effort to encourage other countries to join them.
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