On 21 September, the United Kingdom of Great Britain formally recognised the state of Palestine. The UK followed Canada and Australia, with the former being the first G7 nation to recognise Palestinian statehood. Following this, “over 150 countries” recognise Palestine, including the majority of UN member states.
In response to the declaration, UK activists and pressure groups have responded:
Statement: The Palestinian Mission to the UK welcomes the UK 🇬🇧 recognition of the State of #Palestine🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/sHUKGpNLMk
— Palestine in the UK (@PalMissionUK) September 21, 2025
“Intolerable” as Palestinian statehood is recognised
In recognising Palestinian statehood, Keir Starmer said:
The starvation and devastation are utterly intolerable.
🚨 BREAKING: Keir Starmer says the UK has formally recognised the State of Palestine pic.twitter.com/LOht2c624a
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) September 21, 2025
As reported by the Canary, Keir Starmer and many members of his cabinet belong to Labour Friends of Israel, an organisation which:
supports a negotiated two-state solution for two peoples; with a safe and secure Israel, alongside a viable and independent Palestinian state.
Despite this, Starmer showed no signs of recognising Palestinian statehood before Israel caused the famine in Gaza, leading to intensified criticism of the UK’s complicity in the genocide.
Starmer also said:
This death and destruction horrifies all of us
As reported by the Canary, the UK has continued to provide arms and maintain military links with Israel despite the ongoing genocide, although it has placed an “ostensible ban on arms exports”.
Reporting on the close links between Labour and Israel’s arms industry, Declassified UK recently uncovered the following:
The Labour Party’s general secretary is married to a lobbyist for an Israeli arms firm, Declassified can reveal👇https://t.co/hTraivxAuM
— Declassified UK (@declassifiedUK) September 20, 2025
Response
Al Jazeera noted how long this issue has been going on for:
More than 100 years after the Balfour Declaration, and 77 years after the creation of Israel in the British Mandate of Palestine, the UK is set to formally recognise a Palestinian state.
🔗: https://t.co/3xlsWYkj66 pic.twitter.com/C9vIrbWHh5
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 21, 2025
Also commenting on timescales, the Tory Fibs X/Twitter account noted:
On Monday 13th October 2014, the UK House of Commons voted to recognise the State of Palestine by 274 MPs to 12 MPs, a majority of 262 MPs.
It is a disgrace that it has taken 11 years for No. 10 Downing Street to respect the wishes of Parliament.
— Tory Fibs (@ToryFibs) September 21, 2025
Long-time Palestine supporter Jeremy Corbyn highlighted that the UK still diverges with the UN on the acknowledgement of the genocide:
Well done to all those who have tirelessly campaigned for the recognition of Palestine — an inalienable right of the Palestinian people.
Next, the UK should recognise the genocide in Gaza, end its complicity in crimes against humanity, and stop arming Israel.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) September 21, 2025
The Green Party and SNP voiced a similar position:
The UK government has confirmed it will finally recognise the state of Palestine – a welcome step.
But this must be accompanied by real, concrete actions to bring an end to the genocide in Gaza, including boycotts, sanctions and the end of arms sales to Israel. pic.twitter.com/PODQAufjAv
— The Green Party (@TheGreenParty) September 20, 2025
The UK Government’s recognition of Palestine is a welcome step, and one that is long overdue.
But words alone will not stop the genocide in Gaza.
Sanctions, an end to arms sales, a ban on goods from settlements, and the suspension of the UK–Israel trade deal must follow.
— John Swinney (@JohnSwinney) September 21, 2025
The Liberal Democrats Layla Moran, who is of Palestinian descent, said the following:
UK recognition of the State of Palestine was a promise made to my great grandfather decades ago. While on its own, recognition won’t solve anything without further action, it is a down payment on peace. Today we have just a little more hope, and hope is contagious. pic.twitter.com/RqZpg8y6Fk
— Layla Moran 🔶🕊️ (@LaylaMoran) September 21, 2025
Presenter Sangita Myska noted the legal obligations which the UK would be subject to should it acknowledge the ongoing genocide:
Keir Starmer says it’s a moral duty to recognise the state of Palestine.
Unfortunately, our PM doesn’t seem to think it’s a moral duty for the UK to call a genocide in Gaza a genocide and for it to fulfil its legal obligations to do all it can to stop it.
— Sangita Myska (@SangitaMyska) September 21, 2025
It’s been argued that Yemen is actually following international law by doing what it can to disrupt Israel’s genocide. The US, meanwhile, has bombed Yemen for its actions.
Commentator Saul Staniforth suggested that acknowledgement is being presented now as an empty gesture to distract from Britain’s complicity in the genocide:
Lammy is asked to provide one tangible difference that recognising the state of Palestine will make to the situation in Gaza. He can’t
To be clear, what the UK govt is doing is recognising a Palestinian state while it supports & helps Israel exterminate the Palestinian people. pic.twitter.com/BpMy3cfazC
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) September 21, 2025
Tayab Ali (head of international law) commented on how limited the move is despite the historic significance:
🚨 Recognition – UK gets over its denial and comes to terms with the fact of of Palestine.
Recognition alone will not stop the bombs falling on Gaza. It will not halt the expansion of illegal settlements.
It will not end the siege that has suffocated life and hope for… pic.twitter.com/vMhhhXhb6F
— Tayab Ali (@tayab_ali_) September 21, 2025
His message continues:
What matters now is whether recognition is matched by action. And action means:
➡️ Stopping the unadulterated annihilation and genocide of the Palestinian people – end the occupation.
➡️ Ending arms sales where there is a clear risk of war crimes,
➡️ Imposing sanctions on officials responsible for atrocities and settlement expansion,
➡️ Regulating UK companies and charities complicit in occupation,
➡️ And standing firm behind the ICC and ICJ as they pursue accountability, however inconvenient for those in power.
Sky News’s Ben Bloch noted one change which has resulted from the development:
🚨 The UK government has updated its official maps and language online.
It now shows the West Bank and Gaza as Palestine (rather than the Occupied Palestinian Territories).
It also shows the borders the UK now recognises (the dotted line). pic.twitter.com/PN7Sdz5AdM
— Ben Bloch (@realBenBloch) September 21, 2025
Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed warned this step cannot become an empty gesture:
The UK’s recognition of Palestine comes a century too late & after a 77 year long genocide, ethnic cleansing, occupation & apartheid by the zionist Israeli state aided & abetted by the UK & the West.
This cannot be a hollow recognition that leads to no change in real foreign… https://t.co/5AkHmh0J2X
— Iqbal Mohamed MP (@iqbalmohamedMP) September 21, 2025
His message continued:
This cannot be a hollow recognition that leads to no change in real foreign policy.
The UK must act on the UN’s determination that Israel has been perpetrating a genocide & take all immediate available actions to stop the genocide. It must impose a full arms embargo, full trade sanctions, & withdraw all diplomatic, political & military support now.
Featured image via United Nations (Flickr) / Keir Starmer
