Recognising Palestine as a state does nothing for Gazans

This is gesture politics that makes zero difference to the plight of Palestinian people suffering in Gaza at the moment.

Dangerously, it would hand the Hamas terrorists a veneer of legitimacy. It grotesquely rewards the barbaric slaughter of 1,200 men, women and children, and the rape and the taking of hostages that started this bloody conflict on October 7, 2023. It comes as Hamas still holds 50 Israelis in Gaza captive, needlessly prolonging this agonising war.

Starmer has also sent a disturbing message of support to the mob of hate marchers who have taken over British city streets on an almost weekly basis since that dark day, calling for the annihilation of Israel with chants such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “there is only one solution: Intifada, revolution.”

The Labour MPs calling for state recognition are no doubt well-intentioned. We all desire an end to the cycle of unbearable violence in the region.

Who would not be moved to act by the heart-wrenching images of immense hunger in Gaza and the desperate situation faced by innocent civilians? This is the horrifying reality of war - one that Israel has said would end the moment Hamas returns the hostages.

Labour minister Peter Kyle suggested that the Palestinians should be “rewarded” with statehood for the tragic situation in Gaza. This neglects that many Palestinians joined in with the October 7 atrocities.

Starmer's misguided attempt to placate these voices within his party - many of whom are acting out of self-interest because of a high number of Muslims in their constituencies - will achieve nothing to stop the killing and misery in Gaza.

Instead, it hands Hamas another propaganda victory at a time when we need to be calling for its total surrender to bring this conflict to an end.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Khaled Abu Toameh, an Israeli Arab Muslim and award-winning journalist who has covered Palestinian affairs in Gaza and the West Bank for over 40 years.

He pointed out that more than 150 countries around the world already recognise Palestine as a state and it has made no difference whatsoever to the lives of ordinary Palestinians.

Importantly, he stressed that Palestinian rulers do not want a peaceful co-existence with Israel, unlike the Arabs like him who make up a fifth of Israel’s 10 million population.

“We Arabs are fighting for integration into the state of Israel, but the Palestinians are fighting for the exact opposite. They want to replace Israel with a Palestinian state. They do not recognise Israel's right to exist,” he said.

This is the message I think our PM ought to reflect on before we talk about the path to a lasting peace in the Middle East.

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Bob Blackman is a Conservative MP and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Israel.

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