Britain’s opposition leader Keir Starmer said he would recognise a Palestinian if he came to power in the upcoming general elections. However, he added that such a move would need to come at the right time in a peace process.
Starmer’s remarks come after Ireland, Spain and Norway said they would recognise a Palestinian state on May 28. This prompted an angry response from Israel which said this amounted to a “reward for terrorism.”
Starmer supports Palestine
In an interview with the BBC, Starmer said he thought Palestine should be a state. “I think recognition of Palestine is extremely important. We need a viable Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel, and recognition has to be part of that.” He, however, said that this would need to come at the right time in a peace process.
“I absolutely believe in it.”
Divide over Gaza
The Labour Party is facing an internal battle over the war in Gaza. Starmer has faced criticism by some traditional Labour voters. They have accused him of not shifting the party’s position towards supporting a ceasefire in Gaza. The party’s stance led to 10 senior party lawmakers quitting their policy roles. It was also seen as the reason for a handful of disappointing results in this month’s local elections. Some areas in which Labour lost have large Muslim populations and they are said to have drifted away from the party.
Labour and Conservatives: differing stance on Gaza
The Labour party has moved sharply away from the Conservatives on this matter. The current Conservative government has voiced support in principle for a Palestinian state. However, it said the timing of recognition should form part of a broader peace process.
On the other hand, Labour backed the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it sought arrest warrants for both Hamas and Israeli officials for war crimes. The Conservative government said the ICC did not have the jurisdiction to request the arrest warrants and it would not help get Israeli hostages out of Gaza.
(REUTERS)
