The British Prime Minister should announce the official recognition of the Palestinian state this weekend, according to British media. He would have rejected the announcement to avoid a direct diplomatic confrontation with Donald Trump, currently visiting the United Kingdom.
Sir Keir Starmer had already indicated that he would recognize Palestine at the UN General Assembly in New York if Israel did not meet certain conditions: cease-fire, compliance with a two-state solution and suspension of the annexation of the West Bank.
But, according to several sources, the Prime Minister has chosen to postpone the official announcement until Donald Trump’s departure, so as not to blur the press conference planned with the American president on Thursday.
Tensions with Washington
Donald Trump firmly opposes any immediate recognition of the Palestinian state, which he considers a “reward in Hamas”. The US State Department denounced the approach as an “publicity stunt” and even a “slap in the face” of the victims of the October 7 attacks. On the other hand, France, Australia and Canada plan to adopt the same position as London in the UN.
Starmer’s decision is part of a climate of high internal pressure: several Labor deputies have been asking for a firmer position for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza for months. In London, mayor Sadiq Khan took an additional step by qualifying for the first time the situation of “genocide”.
Keir Starmer, while highlighting the priority of humanitarian aid and the release of hostages, recognized that “the very idea of a two -state solution seems today more distant than ever”.
