UK enters discussions on Palestinian state recognition

The UK has entered discussions with Saudi Arabia and France with regards to the recognition of the Palestinian state at a conference in June. The meeting aims to enable the path to a two-state solution in the region to remain open.

According to the Guardian, whilst the initial discussions are progressing, the UK needs greater clarity about the proposal from France, with the key issue centring on whether recognition of Palestine would create an avenue to a two-state solution, which Israel currently opposes.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy explained to the Lords’ international relations select committee that the UK’s recognition of Palestine has always been reserved for when it would have an impact on the ground.

Lammy does not want the UK’s recognition to be simply a symbolic gesture but to have an actual effect on the situation.

It appears recognition has not had a massive effect in recent months, with 160 states recognising Palestine, with countries such as Spain, Ireland and Norway being some of the most influential, yet the impact has been slight.

Lammy stated this: “We have always said that recognition is not an end in of itself and we will prefer recognition as a part of a process to two states.”

The sentiment towards recognition has been heavily sparked by France and Saudi Arabia’s international conference set to be held in New York in June.

Macron believes that this conference can “finalise this movement of mutual recognition (of a Palestinian state) by several parties”.

Now, with the UK in talks to join the conference and publicly expressing its plans to move towards a two-state solution, many critics will see this as a turning point in the international community’s recognition of Palestine.

On the 28th of April, we saw Keir Starmer and Lammy meet the current Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, marking the first time a Palestinian prime minister had visited the UK since 2021.

Such an open dialogue by the UK government with the Palestinian leader appears to many to be a first step in finding a solution to the war in Gaza, and now this has been furthered by the discussions the UK has entered into with Saudi Arabia and France.

Despite this, the UK has made it very clear that it will recognise Palestine at “a time that has the greatest impact”.

It appears that this greatest time may be around the corner as the UK begins to pick up its action in regards to recognising the Palestinian state.

The Guardian, Maghrebi.org