A group of 125 British Members of Parliament have written a letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, urging him to officially recognize Palestine as a sovereign state. The letter is led by Labour MP Sarah Champion, who also chairs the International Development Committee.
The MPs emphasized that Britain’s recognition of Palestine would be a powerful and symbolic act given the country’s historical involvement in the region. Britain was the author of the Balfour Declaration in 1917 and held the mandate over Palestine until 1948. The letter highlights that this legacy places a special responsibility on the UK to support a just resolution.
The letter reiterates the UK’s longstanding support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and states that formal recognition would solidify this position. It also suggests that recognition would demonstrate the UK’s commitment to fulfilling its moral and diplomatic obligations under international law.
This push comes in the wake of French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent announcement that France intends to recognize Palestine officially in September. Macron called the recognition “a necessary step towards a fair and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
However, the move has been met with criticism from the United States. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the French announcement as “premature,” arguing that it undermines the victims of the October 7 attacks and supports the Hamas narrative. He warned that the decision could hamper efforts to achieve peace and security in the region.
Currently, out of the 193 UN member states, 142 have either recognized Palestine as a state or have plans to do so. The growing international momentum reflects increasing global support for Palestinian statehood, intensifying diplomatic debates in Western capitals including London.
The letter from the British MPs adds significant political weight to the campaign for recognition and signals increasing parliamentary pressure on Prime Minister Starmer to reconsider the UK’s official stance.