UK Prime Minister to Convene Cabinet on Gaza Crisis and Palestinian Recognition

London, MINA – Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to recall his cabinet next week from summer recess to address the escalating crisis in Gaza and the growing calls for the UK to recognize a Palestinian state.

This decision, announced by Downing Street, comes amid increasing pressure from over 200 British Members of Parliament, including more than 100 Labour MPs, who have signed a cross-party letter urging immediate recognition of Palestine. The Middle East Monitor reported this on Monday.

The burgeoning call for recognition also includes senior Labour figures such as Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.

Despite Starmer’s repeated condemnation of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, he has consistently resisted calls for the UK to recognize a Palestinian state. He maintains that such a step should be taken at the “right time” and in coordination with allies, particularly the United States.

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France, Spain, Ireland, and Norway have already taken this step, while senior UK ministers have claimed that recognition is a matter of “when, not if,” referencing a commitment in the Labour Party’s election manifesto.

Advocates highlight Britain’s unique historical responsibility, citing the British Mandate for Palestine, which ostensibly aimed to establish a sovereign and independent Palestinian state but was undermined to facilitate the partition of Palestine into an ethno-nationalist state rooted in Jewish supremacy. Recognition, they argue, would begin to rectify this historical betrayal and reaffirm international law and justice.

Palestinian statehood is now recognized by approximately 75 percent of UN member states, with 147 out of 193 nations having formally acknowledged it, making recognition a global norm rather than an exception.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to formally recognize Palestine in September, a move likely to intensify pressure on the UK to follow suit.

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Israeli Ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, has warned that British recognition would have “very dangerous consequences” and termed it a “reward for terrorism.”

Starmer’s failure to recognize a Palestinian state, in turn, is likely to be perceived as a reward for Israeli extremists, including members of the current government like Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Both are seen as representing fascist elements within Israel. [Shibgho]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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