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**Controversy Erupts Over UK’s Recognition of Palestinian State**
The UK government’s recent announcement that it will formally recognise a Palestinian state has ignited a passionate debate both within Britain and internationally. The decision, made in co-ordination with Australia and Canada, has been welcomed by Palestinian leaders and supporters, but harshly criticised by many in Israel, as well as by British citizens whose loved ones have been directly affected by the Hamas–Israel conflict.
**Background: The Unending Conflict**
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict has persisted for decades, rooted in complex historical, political, and religious grievances. The “two-state solution”—proposing an independent Palestinian state existing peacefully alongside Israel—has been the cornerstone of most international peace efforts. Under this framework, Palestine would include the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
However, progress has been repeatedly derailed by violence, including the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK and several other countries. Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel, killing and abducting civilians, and triggering a massive Israeli military response that has since devastated large parts of Gaza and led to a humanitarian crisis.
**A Mother’s Anguish: Voices from the Hostage Community**
Mandy Damari is one of many whose lives have been shattered by the conflict. Her daughter, Emily Damari, was kidnapped from their home during the October 7 attack. Emily was shot in the hand as she was abducted, losing two fingers, and endured 15 harrowing months in captivity before her release in January.
Mandy Damari has emerged as a vocal critic of the UK government’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state. She accuses Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who announced the policy, of effectively “rewarding” Hamas by granting recognition while hostages remain in captivity, the war continues, and Hamas still holds power in Gaza.
In her words, Sir Keir is living “under a two-state delusion.” She argues, “Even if he thinks he is right, he is rewarding Hamas for the 7 October barbaric and savage attack on Israel when the hostages are still not back, the war is not over, and Hamas are still in power in Gaza.” Her perspective is shared by many families of hostages, who see any move perceived as legitimising Palestinian claims as premature and insensitive to their ongoing suffering.
**Starmer’s Rationale: Reviving Hope for Peace**
Sir Keir Starmer, the UK’s Labour leader, has defended the decision as a necessary step to “revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis.” According to Starmer, the recognition is not a reward for Hamas, but rather a response to Israel’s failure to meet conditions set by the UK in July. He asserts that Hamas can have “no future, no role in government, no role in security” in any future Palestinian state.
Starmer points to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank as factors that have made the two-state solution increasingly remote. He argues that the UK, along with Australia and Canada, must take action to keep the hope of a peaceful resolution alive.
“The hope of a two-state solution is fading, but we cannot let that light go out,” Starmer has declared. He frames the recognition as a way to encourage renewed negotiations and signal to Palestinians that their aspirations for statehood are legitimate, provided they are pursued through peaceful means.
**Palestinian Reaction: Cautious Optimism and Calls for Further Action**
The announcement has been met with cautious optimism among Palestinians, particularly in the West Bank. Mohammad Hasib, a 30-year-old Palestinian, described the move as “wonderful,” expressing hope that other European countries would follow suit and that international recognition would help bring an end to the war.
“We Palestinians are more than what is happening to us,” Hasib told the BBC, highlighting the broader desire among Palestinians to be seen as a people worthy of self-determination rather than merely as victims of conflict.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas also welcomed the UK’s decision, saying it could help pave the way for a peaceful future in which “the state of Palestine [lives] side by side with the state of Israel in