Why is Britain recognizing a Palestinian state
What did Starmer say?
He said Britain would make the move at the United Nations General Assembly unless Zionist entity agreed to certain conditions.
Those were:
•a ceasefire between Zionist entity and Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza
•substantive steps to allow more aid to enter the Gaza Strip
•a clear declaration there will be no annexation of the Zionist-occupied West Bank
•a commitment to a long-term peace process that delivers a 'two-state solution' - a Palestinian state co-existing in peace alongside Zionist entity
Starmer said there was 'no equivalence between Zionist entity and Hamas and that our demands on Hamas remain, that they must release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, accept that they will play no role in the government of Gaza, and disarm'.
Why did Starmer do this?
Successive British governments have said they will formally recognize a Palestinian state when the time is right and when it will be most effective to support a two-state solution. Until Tuesday, the government had said it was more focused on improving the situation on the ground for civilians stricken by the conflict than recognition.
But Starmer has become increasingly vocal over the starvation and devastation in Gaza, and has been under pressure to act from lawmakers in his Labour Party. Britain hopes its move will have a practical impact on Zionist entity's behavior, initially by increasing the flow of aid, but also by reviving the diplomatic push for a two-state solution.
What will this mean in practice?
The move carries great diplomatic and moral weight, even if it is mostly symbolic, according to Julie Norman, an associate professor at University College London specializing in Middle Eastern politics. The most immediate impact may be an upgrading of diplomatic relations with the Palestinians, according to one British government official.
Britain currently hosts a 'Palestinian mission' of officials in London, but the recognition of a Palestinian state means it may be allowed open a fully fledged embassy.
The official said Britain could eventually open an embassy in the West Bank, where the Western-backed Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-government under Zionist military occupation. The PA seeks the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem for a future state. Hamas has refused to recognize Zionist entity and the group's 1988 founding charter calls for its destruction. Vincent Fean, a former British consul general to Jerusalem, said recognition of Palestine as a state would result in the government having to review its relations with Zionist entity. This, he said, could result in Britain banning products from Zionist settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.
'That would only be symbolic in that sense that those goods are a pinprick in the overall size of the Zionist economy,' he said. What is currently unclear is the impact recognition would have on the close intelligence and security ties between Britain and Zionist entity, including defense-related supply chains. — Reuters
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