Starmer has ‘made a mistake’ with plan to recognise Palestinian state – Badenoch
Sir Keir Starmer has “made a mistake” in announcing plans to recognise Palestine as a state, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said.
The Government last week said it will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to meet certain conditions, including a ceasefire and a revival of the two-state solution.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister reiterated that Hamas must release the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and play no role in the government of Gaza.
The Government will then make an assessment in September “on how far the parties have met these steps”, the Prime Minister said.
“Terrorist state”
During a visit to a farm in Little Walden, Essex, on Tuesday, Mrs Badenoch said she would never agree to recognising a Palestinian state while Hamas is still in power in Gaza.
She said: “Absolutely not. No. Hamas is a terrorist organisation. We should not be creating a new terrorist state.
“This is basic stuff, and I don’t understand why Keir Starmer doesn’t understand that.”
The Tory leader added: “Keir Starmer has made a mistake. What we need to focus on now is a ceasefire and getting the hostages home.
“We’ve been seeing images of a hostage who looks like he’s being starved to death, forced to dig his own grave. This is what Hamas is about.
“Now is not the time to reward them for their atrocities and for the massacre they committed on October 7 by giving them statehood recognition.
“We want to see a two-state solution after a peace settlement done in the right way at the right time. It is not the right thing to do now.
“And I’m not surprised that British hostages like Emily Damari have condemned the Government for the approach they’ve taken.”
Pledge
Ms Damari, a British-Israeli woman who was held hostage by Hamas for more than a year, has said she believes Sir Keir is “not standing on the right side of history” after his conditional pledge to recognise Palestine.
Mrs Badenoch’s comments came as it was announced a protest will take place in London this weekend opposing Sir Keir’s plans to recognise Palestine as a state.
Demonstrators, including some British family members of hostages still held by Hamas, will march on Downing Street calling for the release of the remaining hostages before any talk about the recognition of Palestine.
Marchers will include the relatives of Avinatan Or, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival with his girlfriend Noa Argamani.
Mr Or’s cousin Ariel Felber, from London, said: “Keir Starmer has failed the hostages and their families by not making it a condition that all the remaining hostages are brought home to their loved ones before he can even entertain talk of state recognition of Palestine.
“He urgently needs to correct this.”
March
Steve Brisley from Bridgend, Wales, whose sister and nieces were murdered on October 7 and his brother-in-law Eli taken hostage, said: “As British families of hostages and victims, devastated by the ongoing suffering of our loved ones, our emotional torture has been exacerbated by the suggestion that the UK may recognise a Palestinian state without securing the release of the hostages as an absolute precondition.
“This is not about politics. This is about basic humanity.”
The family members are expected to be joined by Jewish leaders and other supporters on their National March For The Hostages through central London on Sunday afternoon.
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Meanwhile thousands are murdered, many are targeted by the IDF as they try to get food..
But they dont count.
If the Palestinian state is recognised soon by UK, then Allah willing all the hostages should be released, Hamas and the zionist government disbanded.
Yes Hamas is a terrorist organisation, but that does not mean that the Palestinians do not have the right to their own state. Should Ireland have been stripped of its Sovereignty during the 1980s because of the IRA? Should we stop recognising Russia as a sovereign country because of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine? One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.
and Hamas’s terrorism has nothing on Israel’s. We’ve seen the evidence now.
As for a two state solution I’d say that’s Light years away. Tragically.
Starmer’s been criticized from more than one perspective for this pronouncement, but it strikes me as one of his more astute decisions. Which is more than can be said for some of his government’s policy determinations during their first year of office! As I see it, his message to Netanyahu is that if Israel does commit to a cease-fire and to seeking a ‘two-state’ resolution, the UK will hold off immediately recognizing Palestine as a nation to see how all that works out in practice. Better to recognize Palestine’s statehood at some future point when that might look to be… Read more »
Uk is more influential than you think. Be proud of your country.
I suggest that you do a net search to research Viscount Palmerston and the ‘Don Pacifico’ story. Back then, Palmerston’s rumbustious defence of the British response to newly independent Greece had real substance and weight.
Do you really reckon that to be the case now?
USA did not go to war with Syria when Ed milliband declined. Frump is a bully and Sir Kier is weak. That is not a reflection on the UK.
Since you seem to favour more recent history, think about the retreat from Afghanistan. Once the US – well, Trump ‘mark one’ – decided on that, the UK – and, in fairness, its other allies as well – decided that it was ‘game over’ and that they must follow suit.
The comments, like the government, seem oblivious to the fact that the Palestinians do not want a 2 state solution. They want all of it. Merely because after the Arab conquest it became Muslim and therefore they believe it always should be.
Gifting recognition of a state without anything in return most definitely rewards Hamas violence and gives no incentive for the return of the hostages. It is also unlikely to bring peace. After all Gaza had self rule for almost 20 years and still launched rockets at Israel throughout that time.
Well the settlers and the zionist government are no angels either.