4 days ago
Starmer turning against Israel risks further conflict with White House
The contrast could not have been greater. At around midday UK time, it emerged the Government would sanction two ultra-nationalist Israeli cabinet ministers.
The measures against Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the security minister, reflect dismay at much of their behaviour, but particularly their efforts to frustrate a two-state solution.
Within two hours, however, an interview with Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump 's new ambassador to Israel, sent a different message.
In it, the Republican evangelical pastor (who is close to Mr Smotrich) appeared to all but completely withdraw US support for a Palestinian state.
Asked if the two-state solution remained a US policy goal, as it has been for decades, he said: 'I don't think so.'
He suggested he'd rather see a legal home for the Palestinians carved out of a Muslim country than the West Bank, where the majority currently live.
It is British policy to eventually recognise a Palestinian state, but successive governments have been reluctant to make the move.
Sources stressed as recently as last week that Downing Street had made no decision on this.
Emmanuel Macron, along with Saudi Arabia, is currently embarked on a mission to cajole allies like Britain to, diplomatically speaking, put their money where their mouths are on the issue of recognition.
A much-vaunted France-Saudi conference on the subject is due to take place later this month, about which Israel is extremely nervous.
Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's foreign minister, recently threatened to annex the West Bank in retaliation.
The feeling among diplomats is that – as with Tuesday's announcement of sanctions – recognition of a Palestinian state would have the greatest impact if done in coordination with allies.
Sir Keir and David Lammy will be watching their European partners carefully to see who moves first.
To do so would certainly widen the rift over Israel with Washington DC further.
It is a rift that has been growing for some time. Mr Trump's criticism of Israel's policy in Gaza has been limited, while Sir Keir has been gradually increasing his.
Sanctioning the ministers opens up another potential conflict between the two leaders.
The Trump administration rails against threats to free speech. And yet Britain, in concert with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, has subjected two elected lawmakers and ministers to harsh restrictions based, in large part, on things they have said.
In the meantime, Mr Smotrich and Mr Ben-Gvir will certainly stay on in their posts despite the allegedly inciting 'extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights'.
Sanctioned or not, they will no doubt continue calling for ever harsher treatment of Gaza and Jewish proliferation in the West Bank.
