'Shame on you': Freed British-Israeli hostage brands Starmer's Palestine ultimatum a 'moral failure'
A British-Israeli woman who was held hostage by Hamas for more than a year has said Sir Keir Starmer is “not standing on the right side of history” after his pledge to recognise a Palestinian state.
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Emily Damari - who was taken hostage after being kidnapped from her home on 7 October 2023 by Hamas gunmen who shot her in the hand and leg, as well as killing her pet dog - accused the Prime Minister of “moral failure” over the move.
In an Instagram post, Ms Damari said: "Prime Minister Starmer is not standing on the right side of history. Had he been in power during World War II, would he have advocated recognition for Nazi control of occupied countries like Holland, France or Poland?
"This is not diplomacy - it is a moral failure. Shame on you, Prime Minister.
"As a dual British-Israeli citizen who survived 471 days in Hamas captivity, I am deeply saddened by Prime Minister Starmer’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood. This move does not advance peace — it risks rewarding terror. It sends a dangerous message: that violence earns legitimacy.
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"By legitimising a state entity while Hamas still controls Gaza and continues its campaign of terror, the Prime Minister is not promoting a solution; he is prolonging the conflict. Recognition under these conditions emboldens extremists and undermines any hope for genuine peace. Shame on you!!!"
Ms Damari was held by Hamas for 15 months in Gaza and was released on 19 January this year, alongside two fellow female hostages, as part of the opening phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal.
Her Instagram post comes amid Sir Keir announcing on Tuesday that the UK could recognise a Palestinian state by September, ahead of a major UN gathering.
The UK will refrain from doing so only if Israel allows more aid into Gaza, stops annexing land in the West Bank, agrees to a ceasefire, and signs up to a long-term peace process over the next two months.
In a statement from Downing Street after an urgent Cabinet meeting on Gaza on Tuesday, Sir Keir said the UK's "message to the terrorists of Hamas is unchanged but unequivocal: they must immediately release all of the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm, and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised the move, claiming it "rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism".