26 Former British Diplomats Urge Recognition of Palestinian State

London, MINA – Twenty-six former senior British diplomats are pressing UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron to officially and unconditionally recognize a Palestinian state.

The call came via an open letter published in The Times newspaper on Monday.

The signatories include leading diplomatic figures such as Sir Dominick Chilcott (former British Ambassador to Turkey), Peter Millett (former Ambassador to Libya), and Lord Andrew Green (former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia).

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They are joined by other senior diplomats like Sir William Patey (former Ambassador to Afghanistan), as well as three former UK Permanent Representatives to the UN: Peter Jenkins, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, and Lord David Hannay.

In their letter, the former diplomats stated that recognizing a Palestinian state is an urgent step to reaffirm the principles of justice and international law in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“When Keir Starmer receives Emmanuel Macron tomorrow, they will reaffirm support for Ukraine. We also need a similar unity of stance towards Palestine and Israel,” the letter read.

The diplomats emphasized the importance of pushing for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the unconditional recognition of a Palestinian state, to uphold the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination alongside Israel.

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“Britain and France have a crucial role in leading global support, including among Commonwealth and European countries. The world needs to be convinced that there is a legal alternative to the extreme Israeli policies represented by Netanyahu: living by the sword,” they wrote.

However, the letter has drawn criticism from pro-Israel circles. Lord Ian Austin, the UK’s trade envoy to Israel, condemned the letter’s content for not mentioning the October 7 attack and the role of Hamas. He also highlighted that thousands of British jobs depend on trade with Israel.

In May, the UK suspended free trade agreement negotiations with Israel. Lord Austin subsequently visited the occupied territories to promote bilateral business.

Earlier, France was reportedly preparing to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state at a major UN conference on a two-state solution, scheduled for June 17 in New York. This conference was planned in conjunction with Saudi Arabia. However, the event was ultimately postponed amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.

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Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer has threatened that if the UK and France proceed with recognizing Palestine, Israel would annex parts of the West Bank.

Diplomatic sources told Middle East Eye that the United States had privately warned London and Paris against taking unilateral recognition steps. This pressure is cited as a major factor behind the two countries’ decision to delay recognition. [Shibgho]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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