Keir Starmer (Parliament Politics Magazine) – President Trump said Thursday he opposed PM Keir Starmer’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state, highlighting US-UK differences over the Gaza war.
In July, Keir Starmer declared that unless Israel complied with specific requirements, such as establishing a ceasefire in Gaza, Britain would move to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.
“I have a disagreement with the prime minister on that score — one of our few disagreements,”
Trump said at a press conference with Starmer at the UK prime minister’s country residence Chequers on the second full day of his state visit.
During the press conference, Starmer and Trump presented a united front, but the subject turned out to be one of the few sources of contention.
Even if France, Canada, and other western allies are scheduled to take the move at the UN next week, the United States has firmly rejected the idea of nations recognizing a Palestinian state.
According to Starmer, the leaders agreed on “the need for peace and a road map” and brought up the worsening situation in Gaza during their discussion.
The leaders also discussed the deteriorating situation in Gaza during their meeting, according to Starmer, who said they were in agreement on “the need for peace and a road map”.
“I want an end. I want the hostages released,” said Trump, calling the war “complex” but avoiding directly answering multiple questions about whether he would urge his ally Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end Israeli bombing in Gaza.
Starmer emphasized the “need to get aid into Gaza at speed” and cited the “intolerable” state of affairs in Gaza.
Without giving further information about when formal recognition would occur, he noted that acknowledging Palestinian statehood would be a component of a broader “plan for peace” that also included making sure Hamas had no role in its government.
Ahead of the UN session, Starmer may finalize plans to recognize a Palestinian state as early as this weekend, according to UK media on Thursday.
In October 2023, Palestinian militants kidnapped 251 persons; of those, 47 are still in Gaza, including 25 the Israeli military claims are dead.
According to an AFP count of official data, 1,219 persons were killed in the Hamas attack, the majority of whom were civilians.
What are the potential consequences of recognizing Palestinian statehood?
Recognition represents international political support for the self-determination of the Palestinian people, and reinforces the legitimacy of the Palestinian claim to statehood. It escalates the diplomatic pressure on Israel and more broadly in the international community to engage in a serious way with the political rights of Palestinians and seek peace agreements.
For many states, recognition is a moral argument which supports justice in light of ongoing occupation and conflict.
Recognition would allow Palestine the ability to join international treaties and courts (such as the International Criminal Court), and international organizations providing Palestine with mechanisms to enforce rights and hold Israel responsible in accordance with international treaties.