Labour MPs are pressing the Foreign Office to recognise a Palestinian state, following French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement that a June UN conference should be a decisive moment for such recognition. Emily Thornberry, chair of the foreign affairs select committee, said the UK must act with allies like France, warning that delay could mean no Palestine left to recognise.
Chris Doyle, chair of the Council on Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), backed the move, arguing it was long overdue and that recognition by two permanent UN Security Council members would send a powerful message. He cautioned that Israel's effective annexation of the West Bank might soon make recognition irrelevant.
The Foreign Office maintains it will recognise Palestine at an appropriate moment for maximum impact. However, former Foreign Secretary David Cameron advanced policy by stating recognition need not wait for the end of a two-state process, and that no state could veto UK recognition.
Macron surprised observers by announcing France would move towards recognition in coming months, aiming for a collective push with Gulf states. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has linked Saudi recognition of Israel to an irreversible path to Palestinian statehood.
While some British quarters doubt Macron's resolve to antagonise Israel, strong personal ties between UK Labour leader Keir Starmer and Macron may make it hard for the Foreign Office to resist French pressure. Currently, 148 UN member states recognise Palestine, but no Western G20 country has done so.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned unilateral recognition as a reward for terrorism, while Macron clarified his position supports peace, Israel's security, and a Palestinian state without Hamas, requiring hostage release and a ceasefire.
