Senior Tory MPs Defy Kemi Badenioch To Call For A Palestinian State
Senior Conservative MPs have called on Keir Starmer to officially recognise a Palestinian state.
The surprise move – which puts them at odds with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch – comes amid Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza.
The UK, France and Canada already urged Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to cease its renewed military offensive and lift its blockade on humanitarian aid entering the territory.
They warned they would take “further concrete actions” unless he stopped the “intolerable” human suffering. Britain also halted trade negotiations with Israel.
The Labour government – like its Tory predecessor – already supports a two-state solution to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict.
But Starmer has stopped short of formally recognising Palestine as a state in its own right, despite pressure from dozens of Labour MPs and peers.
Among the Tory MPs who have now echoed that call in a letter to the PM are former cabinet ministers Sir Jeremy Wright and Kit Malthouse.
The other signatories are Father of the House Sir Edward Leigh, Sir Roger Gale, Mark Pritchard, Sir Desmond Swayne, Simon Hoare and Martin Vickers.
They said the UK should “align itself with the growing international consensus” on Palestinian statehood.
In an open letter, they told the prime minister: “This decision would be a substantive act of diplomacy and a statement of commitment to equality and peace.”
They warned that “without meaningful action,” the hope for a two-state solution is “rapidly slipping away”.
“Settlement expansion, the ongoing disproportionate destruction in Gaza and political deadlock, are making a viable two-state solution harder to achieve with each passing day,” the MPs said. “As you are already aware, many Israelis support a Palestinian state.”
The opposition MPs also noted this should “not be seen through the prism of partisan or left/right politics”, but as a matter of international law.
Recognising Palestine would not “reward extremism” of Hamas either, the MPs said, but show “violence and rejectionism” will not “shape the future”.
They said Britain should acknowledge the Palestinian state at the upcoming Saudi-French summit at the UN on 17-20 June.
Their words are at odds with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch who last month dubbed calls to recognise a Palestinian state “a dangerous idea” which would “do nothing other than reward terrorism”.
Malthouse and Pritchard, who coordinated the letter, noted: “With an historic United Nations summit imminent, now is the time for the United Kingdom to show global leadership.
“Recognising the State of Palestine is not just symbolic – it is a necessary step towards a just, lasting, and sustainable peace, for both Israelis and Palestinians.
“We urge the government to act with other international allies and partners in recognising a Palestinian State.”
Ministers have already faced similar pleas from inside and outside Labour, as party grandees say it would send an important message to Palestinians.
Currently 160 countries recognise a Palestinian state.
Israel launched a full-scale offensive into Gaza in October 2023 in response to the Hamas attack on Israeli soil where they killed 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.
After 19 months of war in the region, more than 50,000 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed and Gaza is in a humanitarian crisis.