ISRAEL: UK To Join France In Palestine Recognition; No Sign Of U-Turn From PM

On the evening of 29 September, UK PM Sir Keir Starmer announced that if Israel does not agree to a ceasefire in Gaza and take “substantive steps” towards a two-state solution, then the UK will recognise a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN General Assembly in September. This mirrors the policy of French President Emmanuel Macron. The French delegation at the UN penned a joint statement late on 29 July, which saw the foreign ministers of 15 nations (including Australia and Canada) call for a two-state solution. All signatories either recognise a Palestinian state or have expressed the intention to do so.  

• The Israeli Foreign Ministry posted on X that “The shift in the British government’s position at this time, following the French move and internal political pressures, constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of hostages,”. The move has been criticised by the main opposition Conservatives, while released British hostage Emily Damari accused Starmer of "moral failure" on the issue.
• With the Israeli negotiating team having been recalled from Qatar last week, there has been little sign of the US or Israeli gov'ts moving towards ceasefire talks. The words and actions of the UK, France and other European countries has had close to zero impact on the actions of the Netanyahu gov't during the course of the conflict since 7 Oct 2023, and there is little to suggest there will be a change at this time.