The United Kingdom plans to recognize Palestine as a state in September, echoing France’s declaration.
“We have long been committed to recognising a state of Palestine. As our election manifesto said, Palestinian statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people,” reads a statement from the UK government. “It is not in the gift of any neighbour and is also essential to the long-term security of Israel. We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.”
“We are determined to protect the viability of the two-state solution, and so we will recognise the state of Palestine in September before [the UN General Assembly],” the statement adds.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that he has “always said we will recognise a Palestinian state as a contribution to a proper peace process, at the moment of maximum impact for the Two-State Solution.”
“With that solution now under threat, this is the moment to act,” he noted.
Starmer’s declaration comes just days after French President Emmanuel Macron said that France will recognize a Palestinian state in September.
“True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine,” Macron announced. “I will make the solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September. The urgency today is to end the war in Gaza and to provide aid to the civilian population.”
The United States has condemned calls for a two-state solution, with the State Department saying a conference on the matter will “prolong the war, embolden Hamas, and reward its obstruction and undermine real-world efforts to achieve peace.”
