Emily Thornberry leads calls for David Lammy to recognise Palestine as state
Dame Emily Thornberry is leading calls for David Lammy to recognise Palestine as a state.
The Labour chairman of the foreign affairs committee said it would be a 'first step' for the Foreign Secretary to announce British recognition next month.
It comes after Mr Lammy halted trade negotiations with Israel and summoned its ambassador in protest of the country's renewed offensive in Gaza this week.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has vowed to block the establishment of a Palestinian state.
At the last general election, Labour's manifesto said the party was 'committed' to recognising Palestine as part of a two-state solution alongside a 'safe and secure' Israel.
Ms Thornberry told The Telegraph: 'I think Britain and France should recognise Palestine at the New York Conference chaired by Saudi Arabia in June.
'The two signatories of the 1916 Sykes-Picot agreement which created the borders of the Middle East as we see today would be very powerful.
'It would be a first step in working multilaterally to update Oslo, build on the Arab Deal and create a new peace deal proposal.'
An international conference aimed at securing a two-state solution will take place in the US from Jun 17 to Jun 20 and will be co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France.
French diplomats have said the event is likely to pave the way for more states to recognise Palestine.
Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central and a former shadow cabinet minister, added: 'With the imminent catastrophic loss of life through starvation and military operations, the Government must hesitate no longer in fully recognising the state of Palestine.
'The reprehensible actions of the Israeli government must be held to account, so full sanctions and ceasing all arms sales must also take place immediately.'
Lord Cameron, Mr Lammy's Conservative predecessor, said last year that the UK was considering whether to formally recognise Palestine.
He insisted the UK had a 'responsibility' to work towards a two-state solution involving an independent Palestinian state coexisting with the nation of Israel.
In 2021, the UK abstained in a vote at the United Nations General Assembly which gave Palestine 'non-member observer' status.
A total of 139 out of 193 member states of the UN currently recognise Palestine, while Israel is recognised by 165, including the UK.
Speaking in the Commons this week, Mr Lammy said Israel's expansion of its ground operation was an 'affront to the values of British people' and warned ' history will judge them '.
Israel is under pressure from the international community to end its war against Hamas, which was launched after Hamas massacred about 1,200 Israelis on Oct 7, 2023.
Mr Netanyahu is also facing calls to allow the flow of aid into the Gaza Strip, where two million people are at risk of famine.
Mr Lammy said: 'Blocking aid, expanding the war, dismissing the concerns of your friends and partners. This is indefensible and it must stop.'
He also unveiled a package of sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers who are committing violence against Palestinian communities.
It is the strongest measure taken by Labour against Israel since it suspended about 10 per cent of arms exports to the country in September.
However, there are still concerns among Sir Keir Starmer's backbenchers that the party's policy on the Middle East conflict does not go far enough.
Some Labour MPs have demanded a complete arms embargo, an idea ruled out by Mr Lammy in the past, as well as sanctions on Mr Netanyahu and his ministers.
Sir Keir's initial refusal to call for an unconditional ceasefire in the region has cost Labour dear with Muslim voters at the ballot box.
Five independent MPs were elected on pro-Gaza tickets at the general election last summer, a trend that was replicated at the county council elections earlier this month.
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