Sir Keir Starmer has suggested that the UK may be open to recognising Palestine as a state as he called for an end to the bloody conflict.
Speaking at the Nato summit last week, the prime minister argued that recognising Palestine should be “part of the process” in regard to resolving tensions in the Middle East.
During the press conference, Starmer implied that the UK wouldn’t be swayed by the US or Israel when it comes to determining their recognition of Palestine.
“So far as our policy is concerned, I’ll determine our policy, not follow anyone else,” he said, when asked about the UK’s position on recognising Palestine.
He added: “Now we are in office, it is our solemn duty to play our full part in resolving the conflict, which has to end. There must be a ceasefire.”
Should the UK recognise Palestine, it would join a growing chorus of nations that back the existence of the country and a two-state solution.
It comes just over two months after Ireland, Norway and Spain also said they formally recognised Palestine. In June, Slovenia also voted to recognise the state of Palestine, making it the 147th country to do so.
Almost 40,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children, have been killed by Israeli troops after IDF forces rolled into the Gaza Strip last year.
Alongside its onslaught in the Gaza Strip and, increasingly, the West Bank, Israel recently approved its largest ‘land grab’ as it tries to illegally expand Israeli settlements into Palestinian territory.
Emboldened by the US and other Western powers that have supplied weapons, Israeli officials have done little to hide their opposition to the idea of recognising Palestine.
News of murdered civillians, “indiscriminate” bombings, and images of decimated cities in the Gaza Strip has led to growing global calls for the offensive to stop – and the agreement of a two-state solution that recognises both Palestine and Israel.
Despite Starmer’s recent remarks, the UK remains one of 48 nations that do not recognise Palestine. These are all of the countries that do recognise it as a state.
Which countries recognise Palestine?
- Algeria
- Bahrain
- Indonesia
- Iraq
- Kuwait
- Libya
- Malaysia
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Somalia
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Yemen
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Cuba
- Jordan
- Madagascar
- Malta
- Nicaragua
- Pakistan
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
- Serbia
- Zambia
- Albania
- Brunei
- Djibouti
- Mauritius
- Sudan
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Slovakia
- Egypt
- The Gambia
- India
- Nigeria
- Seychelles
- Sri Lanka
- Namibia
- Russia
- Belarus
- Ukraine
- Vietnam
- China
- Burkina Faso
- Comoros
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Cambodia
- Mali
- Mongolia
- Senegal
- Hungary
- Cape Verde
- North Korea
- Niger
- Romania
- Tanzania
- Bulgaria
- Maldives
- Ghana
- Togo
- Zimbabwe
- Chad
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Uganda
- Congo
- Angola
- Mozambique
- Sao Tome and the Principe
- Gabon
- Oman
- Poland
- DR Congo
- Botswana
- Nepal
- Burundi
- Central African Republic
- Bhutan
- Rwanda
- Ethiopia
- Iran
- Benin
- Kenya
- Equatorial Guinea
- Vanuatu
- Philippines
- Eswatini
- Kazakhstan
- Azerbaijan
- Turkmenistan
- Georgia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Tajikistan
- Uzbekistan
- Papua New Guinea
- South Africa
- Kyrgyzstan
- Malawi
- East Timor
- Paraguay
- Montenegro
- Costa Rica
- Lebanon
- Ivory Coast
- Venezuela
- Dominican Republic
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Ecuador
- Chile
- Guyana
- Peru
- Suriname
- Uruguay
- Lesotho
- South Sudan
- Syria
- Liberia
- El Salvador
- Honduras
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Belize
- Dominica
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Grenada
- Iceland
- Thailand
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Sweden
- Saint Lucia
- Colombia
- St Kitts and Nevis
- Mexico
- Barbados
- Jamaica
- Trinidad and Tobago
- The Bahamas
- Norway
- Spain
- Ireland
- Slovenia
