220 British MPs urge Starmer to recognize the State of Palestine

Recognition of the State of Palestine

 220 British MPs urge Starmer to recognize the State of Palestine

More than 220 British MPs, dozens of whom belong to the ruling Labour Party, called on the government on Friday to formally recognize the State of Palestine, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

France is the first G7 country and the most powerful European country to take this step.

The call came in a letter signed by MPs from nine political parties less than 24 hours after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country would formally recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September.

France would be the first G7 country and the most powerful European country so far to take this step, which has drawn condemnation from Israel and the United States. Starmer is under increasing domestic and international pressure to recognize the State of Palestine, as opposition to the ongoing war in Gaza mounts amid fears of mass starvation in the besieged enclave.

Recognition of the State of Palestine

"We urge you to formally recognize the State of Palestine at the conference next week," 221 British MPs wrote in the joint letter, referring to the UN conference being held on July 28-29 in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. The MPs added, "While we recognize that the United Kingdom does not have the capacity to achieve a free and independent Palestine, the United Kingdom's recognition would have a significant impact."

The signatories, from parties including the center-right Conservative Party and the centrist Liberal Democrats, as well as regional parties in Scotland and Wales, pointed to Britain's "historic ties and our membership of the UN Security Council." They also noted Britain's role in the establishment of the State of Israel through the Balfour Declaration of 1917. They added, "Since 1980, we have supported a two-state solution. This recognition would strengthen this position and live up to our historic responsibility to the Palestinian people."

In a statement issued Friday following a phone call on Gaza with his French and German counterparts, Starmer said he is "working to find a path to peace in the region." He added, "Recognizing the state of Palestine must be one of those steps. There is no ambiguity about this. But it must be part of a broader plan."