On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets, marking the start of the Jewish New Year, Keir Starmer’s announcement that the UK recognises a Palestinian state thrust Britain into a new, uncertain era – one that has already emboldened Israel’s enemies.
He denied that recognising the mystery Palestinian state would reward terror – even though hostages remain in Gaza and the conditions upon Israel were impossible to meet. Yet, no sooner had Starmer exited the corridor from which he made the announcement than the terror group Hamas declared victory.
Mahmoud Mardaw, a senior Hamas official, seized on the decision as “a victory for Palestinian rights and the justice of our cause” and declared it would “send a clear message” to Israel.
Starmer also vowed that Hamas should not rule over a Palestinian state – even though right now Gaza is almost defeated but still in control. Yet the leader of the UK-based Palestine Solidarity Campaign condemned Starmer, saying that no foreign influence should determine who controls a Palestinian state, effectively meaning that the largest pro-Palestinian movement in the UK would see no problem with Hamas, a terror group banned by Britain, ruling over a future Palestinian state.
The decision by the UK government, of course, has no authority over the Word of God that clearly supports the Jewish people’s right to their ancestral homeland, the Land of Israel. Nor does it have the authority to determine another state’s borders. Yet, just moments after Keir Starmer’s announcement, the UK Foreign Office replaced a map on its website with Gaza, the West Bank, and east Jerusalem labelled ‘Palestine’.
Terminology, such as ‘occupied Palestinian territories’ – which itself was never substantiated – was replaced with the word ‘Palestine’. But the map went even further, replacing the Biblical place names of Hebron and Bethlehem with their Arabic substitutes. Meanwhile, the address for the British Consulate in Jerusalem now features ‘Palestine’ as the country.
These geopolitical red flags are examples of how Britain is already putting into effect its recognition of a Palestinian state. But the anti-Israel movement will not stop with this gift of fictitious statehood. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has reportedly demanded “reparations in accordance with international law” from the UK, for the land that was under the British Mandate of Palestine from 1917 to 1948, which international law analysts say could be valued at a staggering £2 trillion – about the size of Britain’s total economy.
David Mencer, a spokesman for the office of the Israeli prime minister, told the BBC that British Jews will “never forgive” the Labour Party for Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood, saying, “Sir Keir has given the most appalling gift to the Jewish community of the UK on the eve of the Jewish New Year, the most appalling gift, the gift that the Jewish community will not forgive Labour for; they will never forgive Labour for this betrayal.” “It is a betrayal of the Jewish community, but it is also an abandonment of the UK’s ally, Israel,” he added.
It is shameful how nearly two years after the October 7th terror attacks, a legacy of the brutal murder, torture, rape and hostage-taking of Israelis is Britain recognising a Palestinian state. In his UN address on Friday, Prime Minister Netanyahu rebuked Western leaders for giving the ultimate reward to “intolerant fanatics who perpetrated and supported the October 7 massacre.”
“Giving the Palestinians a state one mile from Jerusalem after October 7,” he says, “is like giving Al Qaeda a state one mile from New York City after September 11. This is sheer madness. It’s insane, and we won’t do it.”
Netanyahu continued, “I want to give a message to those Western leaders. Israel will not allow you to shove a terror state down our throats. We will not commit national suicide because you don’t have the guts to face down a hostile media and antisemitic mobs demanding Israel’s blood.”
On Wednesday, CUFI UK launched a petition denouncing the UK government’s shameful recognition of a Palestinian state. Within 48 hours the petition had gained almost 10,000 signatures. We call upon supporters to add your name to the petition, and also consider sending the wording to your MP, using CUFI’s automated system.
ADD YOUR NAME: Go to https://www.cufi.org.uk/notinourname/
