MORE than a dozen senior Tories have broken ranks with their own party to call on the UK Government to recognise the state of Palestine.
Seven Conservative MPs and six members of the House of Lords have signed a letter to Keir Starmer urging him to give formal recognition to Palestine ahead of key talks at a United Nations (UN) conference next month.
The Guardian reports that the letter was written in late March, soon after Israel broke its ceasefire agreement with Hamas and launched airstrikes on Gaza.
It comes as Israeli ministers approved plans on Monday to capture the entire Gaza Strip and remain in the territory for an unspecified amount of time.
The move, if implemented, would vastly expand Israel’s operations in the Palestinian territory and would push hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to southern Gaza, likely exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
The letter, organised by former minister Kit Malthouse, states: “For decades, the Palestinian people have endured occupation, displacement and systemic restrictions on their basic freedoms.
“Recognising Palestine would affirm our nation’s commitment to upholding the principles of justice, self-determination and equal rights. It would send a clear message that Britain stands against indefinite occupation and supports the Palestinian people’s legitimate aspirations.”
The letter continues: “Recognition should not be treated as a distant bargaining chip but as a necessary step to reinforce international law and diplomacy. Prime Minister, we stand ready to offer our public support for this decision.
“This is an opportunity for Britain to show leadership, to be on the right side of history and to uphold the principles we claim to champion. More than 140 UN member states have already recognised Palestine – it is time for the United Kingdom to do the same.”
The letter was signed by several MPs considered to be on the right of the party, including John Hayes and Desmond Swayne. Malthouse also signed, as did Simon Hoare, Edward Leigh – the father of the house – and peers including Hugo Swire, Nicholas Soames and Patricia Morris, the party's deputy speaker in the Lords.
The Prime Minister is understood not to have replied to the letter.
While most UN countries formally recognise a Palestinian state, the US and most European nations do not.
A UN conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia will take place next month and is intended to boost support for a two-state solution.
French president Emmanuel Macron has already indicated he plans to recognise a Palestinian state, with the UK's Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirming that a discussion around the recognition process is underway.
A Conservative spokesperson said: “Our longstanding position has been that we will recognise a Palestinian state at a time that is most conducive to the peace process.
“We are not at that point now and we are clear that recognition cannot be the start of the process.”
A Downing Street spokesperson told The Guardian that the Government remained committed to a two-state solution, as highlighted by the recent meeting between Starmer and Mohammad Mustafa, the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority.
