‘A Palestinian state promises to be oppressive, corrupt and radicalised'
The Prime Minister laid out these terms in a speech at Downing Street. They include Israel agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza and committing to a two-state solution.
In a Telegraph poll, readers were overwhelmingly opposed to the decision, with 86 per cent of over 50,000 voters saying Palestine should not be recognised.
Toby Roberts, a Telegraph reader, is stringently opposed to the idea of a Palestinian state, saying: 'There is no evidence the Palestinians are capable of establishing and running a viable state, and a great deal of evidence to suggest that they are not.
'A Palestinian state promises to be oppressive, corrupt, impoverished, aid-dependent, resentful, radicalised, and riven by vicious internal factionalism.'
He concludes that it is 'a mystery to me how anyone can think that such an outcome would be in the interests of the neighbouring Arab states or the West'.
Margaret Northey, another reader, says Hamas does not want a two-state solution and, as a result of Sir Keir's announcement, 'Hamas will now have even more reason not to agree to a ceasefire'.
John Culley echoes this sentiment, expressing dismay that conditions have been imposed on Israel but not on Hamas: 'If we are going to recognise Palestine, surely the conditionality should be aimed at the Palestinians, what about releasing the hostages and Hamas surrendering and/or dissolving itself.
'The current conditional approach still gives the Israeli's a partial veto over the process and incentivises Hamas to try and provoke Israel. It is absolutely bonkers diplomacy.'
Nancy Brooks remarks that she thought the report of Sir Keir's announcement must be 'incomplete' as no demand was made that the remaining hostages be released, adding: 'Clearly, a 'solution' is not what this is about, entirely a vote-gathering exercise. Shame on him.'
Another reader agrees that the announcement was intended for a domestic as well as international audience: 'Starmer's focus on Gaza is an indication of where power and influence now lies in the Labour Party and the organs of government.
'His pronouncement had nothing to do with peace, justice, morality, or ending the war. It was a piece of theatre pandering to Labour's shrinking voter base; gesture politics of the most shameless kind.'
'The only solution is a two-state one'
A minority of Telegraph readers sought to make the case in support of the Prime Minister's announcement, with one saluting Sir Keir for having 'the leadership to stand up to bullying and intimidation from Trump and Netanyahu'.
Hedley Smith argues that the announcement did not reward Hamas and 'you either recognise a state out of principle or you don't', adding: 'The conditions of statehood are either met or they are not: it shouldn't be conditional and used like a bargaining chip. I think they should have been a state a long time ago and I don't believe that right can be bargained away.'
Nik Hill and Jennifer Morris both take a historical view when it came to arguing in favour of recognising Palestinian statehood. Nik said: 'The UN called for an independent Palestine and Israel to be recognised back in 1947. It's about time it actually happened.
'That's not rewarding Hamas (no Hamas in the West Bank for example). It's simply accepting that the only solution is a two-state one.'
Jennifer concurred and cited the Balfour Declaration of 1917 that expressed British support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine but also that the rights of the existing inhabitants would be protected.
She says that no government 'stepped in as Israel took more land for their settlements' and that 'it is time to do the right thing' for the Palestinians.
'The Arab world gets it. Starmer doesn't'
Many readers also compared and contrasted the reaction of the British state with that of the Arab world. Soon after Sir Keir's announcement, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt called for Hamas to surrender control of Gaza and disarm.
Natalie Brooks writes that the Prime Minister's ultimatum to Israel 'has proven to be as ineffectual and meaningless as he is… even Arab nations are suggesting Hamas needs to come to the table'.
Other readers weigh in: 'You couldn't make it up! Arab nations insist that Hamas surrenders, while the British Prime Minister (unintentionally, no doubt) offers it encouragement to continue! The Arab world gets it. Starmer doesn't.'
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