The Times: Starmer to recognise Palestine after Trump’s UK visit

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will formally recognise Palestine as a state this weekend, once US President Donald Trump has concluded his state visit to the UK, The Times writes.

Starmer delayed the announcement until after Trump’s departure, amid concerns that the issue could overshadow their joint press conference at Chequers on September 18.

The United States has made clear its strong opposition to official recognition of Palestine, and Trump has previously warned that such a move would effectively reward Hamas.

The UK, however, is preparing to move forward with recognition ahead of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York next week. Britain will be joined by France, Canada, and Australia, which are also expected to recognise Palestine at the assembly.

The divide between London and Washington on the issue is stark. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned Israel’s military assault on Gaza City as “utterly reckless and appalling.” She said: “It will only bring more bloodshed, kill more innocent civilians and endanger the remaining hostages.”

In contrast, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who accompanied Trump on his visit to London, voiced strong support for Israel. He argued that recognition of Palestine would make peace less likely. “It actually makes it harder to negotiate … because it emboldens these groups [Hamas],” he said. Rubio added that Israel would inevitably mount a “counter-reaction to those moves,” remarks widely interpreted as a reference to possible annexation of occupied areas of the West Bank.

Starmer had first outlined Britain’s plan to recognise Palestine in July, citing growing alarm within the government over the worsening situation in Gaza. At the time, he said the UK would take this step unless Israel declared a ceasefire, committed to a two-state solution, and pledged not to annex the occupied West Bank. Given Israel’s rejection of these conditions, recognition of Palestinian statehood has now become virtually inevitable.

Pressure within the Labour Party has added to the momentum. A third of the cabinet has urged Starmer to proceed, and more than 130 Labour MPs have signed a letter in support of recognition. The prime minister himself declared that “this is the moment to act,” stressing that the crisis in Gaza has placed unprecedented urgency on recognising Palestine.

Earlier this year, Starmer reiterated his stance that recognition should be a contribution to peace. “I’ve 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,” he said. “With that solution now under threat, this is the moment to act. So today — as part of this process towards peace — I can confirm the UK will recognise the state of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution. This includes allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank. Meanwhile, our message to the terrorists of Hamas is unchanged and unequivocal.”

Britain has already taken a hard line against Israel’s policies in Gaza. Earlier this year, the government imposed sanctions on senior Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, and Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, after describing Israel’s military expansion in Gaza as “intolerable.” Both were accused of inciting settler attacks on Palestinian communities and using “horrendous extremist language.”

The sanctions, announced in May, included asset freezes and travel bans, barring Ben-Gvir and Smotrich from entering Britain and prohibiting UK-based financial institutions from dealing with them. The measures mirrored the sanctions Britain has imposed on senior Russian figures connected to the war in Ukraine.

By Tamilla Hasanova