The Palestine Mission to the UK has held a flag-raising ceremony on Monday, just a day after Downing Street formally recognized Palestinian statehood.
Ambassador Husam Zomlot led the ceremony at the diplomatic mission, which is expected to become the country’s full embassy to the UK. The event was attended by dozens of MPs, ambassadors, and senior officials, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Scottish First Minister John Swinney, according to the Guardian.
Zomlot lauded what he called a “long overdue step of recognizing the state of Palestine” by the UK.
“Please join me as we raise the flag of Palestine and with its colors representing our nation: Black for our mourning, white for our hope, green for our land, and red for the sacrifices of our people,” he said, hoisting the flag to applause from the crowd.
The Palestinian ambassador also demonstrated a plaque made for the new embassy, but he did not elaborate on when it would formally begin to function as such.
The UK recognized the state of Palestine on Sunday, in a coordinated move with Canada and Australia. Portugal followed suit later in the day.
According to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the decision was intended to “revive the hope of peace and a two-state solution.”
Israel has harshly condemned the diplomatic gestures.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has argued that leaders recognizing Palestinian statehood “are handing a huge reward to terror.”
“A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan,” he stated on Sunday. Under his leadership, Israel has “doubled Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria,” he added, referring to the West Bank.
In response to the international recognition of Palestine, several right-wing ministers in Netanyahu’s ruling coalition have openly called for the Israeli annexation of the area, which is home to more than three million Palestinians.
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Israeli ministers push West Bank annexation
Russia, as the legal successor to the Soviet Union, has long recognized the State of Palestine and argues that a two-state solution is the only way to settle the Gaza conflict.
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