Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply criticised UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his plan to recognise the State of Palestine, accusing him of rewarding “monstrous terrorism” of Hamas.
“Starmer rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism & punishes its victims. A jihadist state on Israel’s border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW. Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen,” the Office of the PM of Israel posted on X on Wednesday.
Meanwhile the Foreign Ministry of Israel also dismissed the decision, stating that such a move by the British government would undermine efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of hostages.
“Israel rejects the statement by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The shift in the British government’s position at this time, following the French move and internal political pressures, constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of hostages,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a post on X.
The remarks came after Starmer issued a statement on Tuesday saying that the British government would recognise the State of Palestine in September, during the United Nations General Assembly, to “protect the viability of the two-state solution.”
“I can confirm the UK will recognise the state of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a Two State Solution,” read a statement issued by British PM office.
“And this includes allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank. Meanwhile, our message to the terrorists of Hamas is unchanged and unequivocal. They must immediately release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza. We will make an assessment in September on how far the parties have met these steps,” the statement added.
