‘Utter disaster’: Critics slam Starmer's use of Palestinian statehood as bargaining tool
The British government’s conditional recognition of a Palestinian state has been condemned by critics who say the move is an “empty gesture” that will do nothing to address the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday that the government would recognise a Palestinian state by September unless Israel “takes substantive steps” to end the genocide unfolding in Gaza and agrees to a ceasefire.
The statement has drawn fire from political commentators and aid groups who denounced the conditioning of recognition on Israel ending its siege on Gaza and agreeing to a ceasefire.
“Recognition should be because you as Britain recognise the rights of Palestinians to nationhood, to self-determination,” Chris Doyle, the director of Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), told Middle East Eye.
Doyle pointed out that the conditions outlined in the statement - that Israel should take “substantive steps” and “end the appalling situation Gaza” - are unclear and more vaguely worded than previous government statements.
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“So actually, amazingly, in some areas, it's weaker than previous government statements, where they have called for the UN to have unimpeded access. So it's an utter disaster.
“Nothing that the government announced yesterday, nothing will stop or slow down the genocide in Gaza,” Doyle emphasised.
“We are going to see additional horrors in Gaza”.
Ahead of the announcement, Starmer was facing mounting public outcry and pressure from MPs over Israel’s war on Gaza, which he initially supported.
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since 7 October 2023, and increasing numbers have been dying of Israeli-imposed starvation in recent weeks.
A week before Starmer’s announcement, French President Emmanuel Macron said his country would officially recognise a Palestinian state in September - becoming the first of the G7 group of the world's richest countries to do so, and intensifying pressure on Starmer to follow suit.
Doyle argued that Starmer could have announced a joint recognition with France, without conditionalities attached.
“There's enough in there to allow him to wiggle out of a recognition in September," said Doyle.
"There's also just about enough, if Israel behaves even worse, that he can go forward. So he keeps his options open."
‘A very weak card’
British-Israeli analyst and former Israeli government adviser Daniel Levy noted that, as pressure is mounting on states to act, state recognition has become “the go-to place”, allowing political leaders to look as if they are doing something significant to address the situation.
“It is something that doesn’t require an actual reconfiguration in important elements in the bilateral relationship with Israel,” Levy told MEE.
“Arms and trade sanctions, or joining the South African case at the ICJ [International Criminal Court] on genocide, or looking at Israeli assets that are being held within your banking jurisdiction that you could freeze - those would be meaningful steps. This is something that's eminently dismissible, especially by Israel,” he said.
'We're also talking about surveillance fights over Gaza from RAF bases in Cyprus'
- Sara Husseini, British Palestinian Committee
Levy also questioned what the recognition would entail given Palestine is under permanent and illegal Israeli occupation.
“What actions are you going to take against the country that is occupying the state that you recognise to face a consequence for doing so. And the answer is: nothing at all.”
Many have also pointed to the incoherence of the UK government's position on Israel, given it continues to supply it with arms.
“We're talking not just arms sales and the selling of crucial F-35 parts to maintain Israel's fighter jets. We're also talking about surveillance fights over Gaza from RAF bases in Cyprus. We're talking extensive allyship and support for a state that is in the dock for genocide,” Sara Husseini, director of the British Palestinian Committee, told MEE.
“Starmer is now playing this very weak card which he thinks will relieve his government from actually doing what needs to be done,” she added.
‘Dangerous and inefficient’
Earlier on Tuesday, a UN-backed global food security body said famine was unfolding across Gaza, with one in three children in Gaza City acutely malnourished.
"Latest data indicates that famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip and for acute malnutrition in Gaza City,” the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said in a new report.
"Amid relentless conflict, mass displacement, severely restricted humanitarian access, and the collapse of essential services, including healthcare, the crisis has reached an alarming and deadly turning point."
The warning comes as nearly 150 Palestinian children and adults in Gaza have died from starvation since Israel's onslaught on Gaza in October 2023.
Sangeetha Navaratnam-Blair, Senior Humanitarian Advocacy Manager at ActionAid UK, said the UK’s move would do very little to alleviate the spiralling humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“It's clear at this point that words or condemnation from the UK haven't compelled the Israeli government to change course, and this threat does not appear to be something that would also encourage them to change their actions and to enable any supplies and humanitarian support to get into Gaza,” Navaratnam-Blair told MEE.
Since Israel announced last Friday it would allow countries to airdrop aid into Gaza, the UK signalled it was considering the idea, despite warnings from aid groups that the move will do little to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in the enclave.
Navaratnam-Blair said the airdropping of humanitarian supplies “is not going to come close to addressing the sheer volume of food, medicine and other supplies that is required by the people of Gaza”.
“It actually can be really dangerous and inefficient when it comes to people who have been starving for such a long period of time. They may experience refeeding syndrome and other negative impacts, if not supported by professional medical support,” she said.
Since 2 March, Israel has prevented all food and aid from reaching starving Palestinians.
Last week, more than 100 international human rights and humanitarian organisations called for an end to the siege, citing widespread starvation affecting their staff.
Unrwa communications director Juliette Touma also told MEE last week that several of the organisation's staff fainted on duty due to malnutrition.
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