UK Cabinet Ministers Urge PM Starmer to Lead International Recognition of Palestinian State
[London, 23 July 2025] —Amid mounting global condemnation of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing increasing pressure from members of his Cabinet to officially recognize Palestine as a state.
According to The Guardian, several senior Cabinet members have, in recent months, called on Prime Minister Starmer during Cabinet meetings to take international leadership in recognizing Palestine.
The UK has long maintained that it would recognize a Palestinian state as part of the peace process between Israel and Palestine—preferably in coordination with other Western nations. However, frustration within the UK government has grown after Israeli forces killed many starving Palestinians as they stood in line for food aid in Gaza.
One minister remarked, “We keep saying that recognizing Palestine as a state is a significant symbolic act—something that can only be done once. But if not now, then when?”
Earlier this month, around 60 Labour Party MPs urged the UK government to immediately recognize Palestine as a state.
Previously, Israel’s Defense Minister announced plans to forcibly relocate all Gaza residents to a camp in the southern, devastated city of Rafah.
During a recent visit to the UK, French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the British Parliament, stating that a two-state solution is “the only path” to resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict.
However, diplomatic sources indicate that some of Britain and Canada’s allies have expressed objections to Macron’s stance.
Later this month, a conference co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France will take place in New York, aiming to rally international support for a two-state solution.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has stated that Britain “will play its part” in that process.
He added, “We’ve said that this should be part of a process. But until now, there was no real process—only chaos and conflict. We don’t just want symbolic recognition; we want recognition as part of a real process that moves toward establishing two states.”
“I believe that a two-state solution—in which Palestinians have dignity and freedom, and Israel has security—is the only sustainable path. We will do everything we can to achieve that in due time,” Lammy said.
In a rare declaration in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Health Secretary Wes Streeting stated, “As long as there remains a Palestinian state to recognize, we should recognize it.”
His comments came shortly after an Israeli attack on a residential building housing WHO staff in Gaza.
He further said, “I strongly condemn Israel’s attacks on healthcare workers and innocent civilians who have come seeking medical or emergency assistance.”
