The United Kingdom is talking with France and Saudi Arabia about recognising Palestine as a state later this year, the Foreign affairs minister of its left-wing government has revealed.
British Foreign Minister David Lammy told a House of Lords committee this week that the government is in discussions with France and Saudi Arabia to recognise Palestine as a state. The declaration would be part of a push to keep the notion of a two-state solution alive and would likely be made at a New York conference in June to be hosted by France and the Saudis, he said.
“No one has a veto on when the United Kingdom recognises that Palestinian state,” Lammy said according to The Guardian, but added that the intention of the move was not to make a symbolic gesture but rather to use British recognition as a tool to further the establishment of a Palestinian state.
“It’s unacceptable for any group of people to have lived without no state for longer than I’ve been alive,” Lammy said.
“The only option is two states and we will continue working with partners… particularly with France as we head towards their conference in New York, alongside the Saudi Arabians… to ensure we keep alive two states.”
Lammy lamented that the recent recognition of Palestinian statehood by some European nations, such as Spain, Norway, and Ireland, had failed to move the needle with the move.
“There are countries in Europe that have taken this step recently . . . Did it change much on the ground? The sad conclusion is it didn’t, and so we have always said recognition is not the end in [and] of itself, two states is the end”, he said per The Financial Times.
The left-wing lawmaker is further reported to have expressed the view that part of a two-state solution would be a demilitarisation process, and for Hamas to no longer be in government.
Israel has, of late, been an ally and valuable foreign market for British defence industry exports. This posture quickly changed with the election of a left-wing Labour government last year, however, which, besides the views of its members on Israel, is having its feet held to the fire by a growing political Islam vote.
Threatening the seats of even prominent Labour politicians, the pro-Gaza independents have already achieved some notable defeats. Companies providing arms to Israel have also come under physical attack in the UK, and the British government has suspended weapons export licenses.
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