Keir Starmer to set out path to recognising Palestinian state this week

[Celerity]

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/recognising-palestine-a-matter-of-when-not-if-says-no-10-fg25rxdvk

https://archive.ph/CzRTx



Sir Keir Starmer will set out a Middle East peace plan that will put Britain on a path to recognising a Palestinian state amid mounting cabinet pressure. The prime minister will hold an emergency cabinet meeting on Gaza this week to sign off his plan after discussions with Donald Trump on Monday. In the wake of the meeting Trump acknowledged that there was “real starvation” in Gaza and called on Israel to allow “every ounce of food” into the region.

No 10 said that Starmer and Trump discussed plans being drawn up with France and Germany to bring about a “lasting peace” amid concerns of a humanitarian catastrophe. Senior government sources did not rule out joining France in recognising a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly in September if a ceasefire is secured. Peter Kyle, the science secretary, said that Palestinian citizens “need to be rewarded” with statehood.

He told Times Radio: “No longer can we sit back and see what is happening in that region and think that the Palestinian people should not be rewarded for what they’ve been through and have the tools at their disposal to move them towards the kind of peace, stability and dignity that every citizen in every country is owed”. Kyle confirmed that the release of hostages would be part of a “pathway” to recognition.

• What does recognising a Palestinian state mean in practice?

Seven members of the Cabinet as well as 130 Labour MPs, equivalent to a third of all backbenchers, are privately pushing Starmer to formally recognise Palestine. Downing Street confirmed that the goal was to recognise a state in this parliament, calling it a matter of “when, not if”.

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[malaise]

1. About time

Rec

[tritsofme]

2. Who is supposed to be the leader of this pretend "state"? Abbas? Currently in year 20 of his 5 year term?

Hamas? They are the elected government of Gaza, and probably the most popular political movement in all of the disputed territories.

This “recognition” always sounds more like a participation trophy than a state.

[Celerity]

3. As of March 2025 the State of Palestine is recognized as a sovereign state by 147 of the 193 member states of the United

Nations, or just over 75% of all UN members. It has been a non-member observer state of the United Nations General Assembly since November 2012. This limited status is largely due to the fact that the United States, a permanent member of the UN Security Council with veto power, has consistently used its veto or threatened to do so to block Palestine's full UN membership.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_recognition_of_Palestine





Light Green: UK and France announced planned recognition.

[tritsofme]

4. That still leaves the same questions.

[Celerity]

5. No, it does answer them, as does the link 'What does recognising a Palestinian state mean in practice?' in my OP.

from the link in my reply to you:

Timeline of Palestine in the United Nations

On 14 October 1974, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was recognized by the UN General Assembly as the representative of the Palestinian people and granted the right to participate in the deliberations of the General Assembly on the question of Palestine in plenary meetings.
On 22 November 1974, the PLO was granted non-state observer status, allowing the PLO to participate in all Assembly sessions, as well as in other UN platforms.
On 15 December 1988, UN General Assembly Resolution 43/177 acknowledged the Palestinian Declaration of Independence of November 1988 and replaced the designation "Palestine Liberation Organization" with "Palestine" in the United Nations system.

On 23 September 2011, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas submitted an application for membership of Palestine in the United Nations.

On 29 November 2012, United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/19 granted Palestine non-member observer state status.

On 17 December 2012, UN Chief of Protocol Yeocheol Yoon decided that the constitutional name 'State of Palestine' shall be used by the Secretariat in all official United Nations documents.

On 10 May 2024, United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-10/23 granted additional rights to the State of Palestine at the UN, including being seated with member states, the right to introduce proposals and agenda items, and participate in committees, but did not grant them the right to vote.

snip

What does recognising a Palestinian state mean in practice?

President Macron of France says he will recognise Palestine and Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure to do the same. Israel and the US have condemned Macron’s decision. But what does recognition mean in practice? Here are four key questions.

https://www.thetimes.com/world/middle-east/israel-hamas-war/article/what-does-recognising-palestinian-state-mean-wl60nj3br

https://archive.ph/r2bUd

Is Palestine a state?

Palestine is an “observer state” at the United Nations, thanks to a vote by a majority of members in the general assembly, so some would say it is de facto recognised as a state already. That said, there is more to having the full rights and responsibilities of being a state than declaring you are one, or even having a representative office at the UN. The issue being discussed by the British government is twofold — whether the UK will bilaterally recognise Palestine “state to state”, and whether it will support its elevation from observer to member state status at the UN, which will give it certain rights and privileges.

What effect would recognition have at the UN?

Recognition by France and Britain at the UN would not by itself alter Palestine’s status. Being granted member status first requires a vote by the security council, which consists of five permanent members and ten non-permanent seats elected for two-year terms. The permanent members have a veto, and the US has indicated it would block the motion. A general assembly vote on Palestinian membership could be held only if none of the permanent members veto it and at least nine of the 15 security council members assent. A two-thirds majority in a general assembly vote would then be required to declare full membership. Such status would allow Palestine to vote in the assembly, submit resolutions and take its turn on the security council. Membership of international bodies, and the right to bring cases in international courts, can also be dependent on member-state status.

• Why Israel can’t brush off France’s recognition of a Palestinian state

Is UK recognition meaningless if the US will block a vote?

Recognition of other states diplomatically has historically been simply a matter of state-to-state relations — as Israel knows better than anyone else. Several Arab and Muslim states refused to recognise Israel’s existence when it came to a UN vote after the Second World War. It has been a member state since but even neighbours such as Lebanon do not recognise it and they have no official diplomatic relations. The more than 140 countries that do recognise Palestine in theory treat it like any other nation. In Britain’s case that would, at least theoretically, mean upgrading the Palestinian mission in London to embassy status, promoting its access to international bodies and giving its representatives full diplomatic immunity.

At present the mission is in a separate category of the official diplomatic list shared only with the Arab League. “It is not clear what its diplomatic immunities are,” said Victor Kattan, an expert on international law at Nottingham University who has previously advised the Palestinian Authority on statehood. The diplomatic list says only that “some of the persons listed may have certain privileges and immunities”. These can range from not having to pay your parking fines to involvement in key diplomatic activities.

snip

[tritsofme]

6. Still seems like a silly participation trophy to me. Abbas, serving in the 20th year of a 5 year term, who has

zero control over Gaza, for a period going on decades, has no legitimacy and ever declining relevance. Some leader!

The idea that a “state” exists is a wish, not reality. If they just want to play pretend, that is certainly their choice.

[Celerity]

7. Are you in favour of a 2 state solution?

[tritsofme]

8. Yes, I believe in a 2 state solution. However the Palestinians are a defeated people.

Given the option for peace, they chose war, and lost.

Over and over again.

If they truly want peace, they need to sue for it, on Israel’s terms.

[Celerity]

9. 'the Palestinians are a defeated people'

Really?

If they are 'defeated' why is Israel spending billions (a shedload of that shamefully provided by the US) in a continuing effort that is absolutely turning most of Gaza to ruins, killing tens of thousands of civilians, including women and children, AND also continuing to take more and more West Bank lands for illegal settlements via the use of force?

[tritsofme]

10. If they think this is winning, then they could certainly choose to continue their current course.

If they want peace, they must sue for it, on Israel’s terms.