Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to recognize Palestine as a state has ignited controversy, with warnings of potential £2 trillion reparations claims. Starmer framed the move as a step toward “hope for peace” in the Israel-Hamas conflict, emphasizing support for a two-state solution. While symbolic, the government acknowledged it won’t immediately alleviate Gaza’s humanitarian crisis but aims to preserve long-term peace prospects.
Critics, including opposition figure Kemi Badenoch, slammed the decision as “rewarding terrorism.” Legal experts caution that the recognition could trigger massive financial liabilities, with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas demanding reparations for land Britain controlled from 1917 to 1948. Estimates peg the cost at £2 trillion, roughly equivalent to the UK’s economy, according to the Daily Mail.
In a Downing Street video, Starmer said: “We recognized Israel over 75 years ago as a Jewish homeland. Today, we join over 150 nations in recognizing a Palestinian state, pushing for peace, hostage release, and an end to violence through a two-state solution.”
Israel’s government condemned the move, with a Netanyahu spokesperson arguing it bolsters Hamas’s goal of replacing Israel rather than coexisting. Israel’s foreign ministry called it “a reward for jihadist Hamas.”
The conflict, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, has claimed 65,208 lives and injured 166,271 over nearly two years. Israel faces ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes, alongside a genocide case at the ICJ.
Israel continues to demand the release of 48 hostages in Gaza. However, families like that of Evyatar David, a hostage seen in a recent Hamas video, argue the UK’s move strengthens Hamas’s negotiating stance, hindering peace efforts. Ilay David, Evyatar’s brother, said, “This gives Hamas power to be stubborn. It’s the last thing we need.”
