The UK Government should not unilaterally recognise a Palestinian State

We urge the UK not to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state before a negotiated peace. We believe the UK should support direct talks, conditioned on Hamas releasing hostages, disarming, & leaving Gaza; & the PA ending ‘Pay to Slay’, removing extremist content from schools, & recognising Israel.

We believe unilateral recognition rewards terrorism, betrays the hostages including those with UK ties, and damages peace efforts. We consider that lasting peace must come through direct negotiation, not unilaterally imposed statehood. We think the UK must insist on essential reforms before talks can proceed: Hamas disarmament, PA ending payments to convicted terrorists, and removing violent and racist incitement from the school curriculum. The Palestinian leadership must also recognise Israel’s right to exist for talks to succeed.

On 22 September, at the United Nations General Assembly, the Foreign Secretary formally announced the UK’s decision to recognise the State of Palestine, joining France, Canada, Australia and 150 other countries who have also recognised Palestinian statehood. Her statement to the UN can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/i-stand-before-you-today-beneath-the-emblem-of-the-united-nations-to-confirm-the-historic-decision-of-the-british-government-to-recognise-the-state

The Foreign Secretary’s statement made clear not just that there could be no role for Hamas in the future governance of Palestine, but that the process of recognition had taken place in the context of the formal repudiation of Hamas, its actions and ideology by governments across the Arab world, and the commitment of the Palestinian Authority to a significant programme of reform, ranging from their support for a demilitarised Palestine and condemnation of terrorist violence, to their pledges to end so-called prisoner payments and reform Palestinian schooling.

Most important, the Foreign Secretary made clear that the UK’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood was part of a wider international effort pursued over recent months to create the political momentum for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages, the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the restoration of a meaningful process to create a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, with security for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples alike.