UK must impose sanctions on Israel after recognising Palestinian state – Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru has urged the UK Government to go further than recognising a Palestinian state, calling for tough sanctions against Israel amid continued violence in Gaza.

The UK is set to formally recognise Palestine on Sunday, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer describing the decision as part of a moral responsibility to keep alive the prospect of a two-state solution.

But Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said recognition was only a symbolic gesture and insufficient given the humanitarian catastrophe.

He called for the suspension of the UK’s current trade deal with Israel, a ban on imports from illegal settlements, sanctions on individuals accused of breaching international law, and an end to arms sales.

Accountable

“With the UK Government set to finally recognise a Palestinian state – something Plaid Cymru has long campaigned for – this alone is not enough to hold Israel accountable nor end the suffering in Gaza,” Mr ap Iorwerth said.

“The Prime Minister must go further in holding the Israeli Government to account for its continued genocide against civilians by imposing sanctions and halting all arms sales. Keir Starmer has been sitting on his hands for too long while innocent lives are being lost every day.”

“Recognition is an important and historic step, but it is primarily a symbolic one,” he added. “The UK has a moral and legal responsibility to ensure Israel complies with international law.”

Last week a UN commission of inquiry concluded Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Long-term peace settlement

UK ministers insist recognition will not bring about immediate change on the ground but will signal international support for a long-term peace settlement.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said the step would sustain hopes for a two-state solution based on 1967 borders and a shared capital in Jerusalem.

“Any decision to recognise a Palestinian state does not make it happen overnight,” he told Sky News. “Will this feed children? No it won’t. Will it free hostages? That must be down to a ceasefire. But it keeps alive the process for peace.”

Palestinian representatives in London welcomed the move. Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian mission to the UK, said it corrected “a colonial-era wrong” dating back to the Balfour Declaration in 1917. Recognition, he argued, was a foundational step towards Palestinian sovereignty and “a day when wrongs of the past are beginning to be corrected”.

Hostage families

But families of hostages held by Hamas after the October 7, 2023 attacks criticised the decision, warning it could embolden the group to resist negotiations.

In an open letter, they told Sir Keir recognition had “dramatically complicated efforts to bring home our loved ones”.

The move has also drawn fire from opposition politicians. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel accused the Prime Minister of capitulating to his party’s backbenches, calling recognition “a dangerous message” that risked rewarding terrorism. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described it as a “betrayal of Israel”.

The UK government has stressed that Hamas can have no role in governing Gaza and is expected to step up sanctions against the group.