Prime Minister Netanyahu warns UK leader Keir Starmer that recognizing a Palestinian state now would reward Hamas terrorism and endanger Britain itself.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a sharp condemnation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday, after Starmer declared that the UK would formally recognize a Palestinian state by September unless Israel takes steps to improve the situation in Gaza and commit to a two-state peace process.
“Starmer rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism and punishes its victims,” Netanyahu wrote in a blistering English-language post on his X account.
“A jihadist state on Israel’s border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW. Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen.”
Starmer earlier told the British media that his government intends to push for Palestinian statehood recognition at the UN General Assembly unless Israel meets several conditions: a ceasefire in Gaza, no annexation in the West Bank, and a commitment to a long-term two-state peace process.
The UK leader’s ultimatum comes just days after French President Emmanuel Macron issued a similar declaration, urging the United Kingdom to join France in recognizing a Palestinian state. Macron has publicly pressed for European unity on the matter, signaling a coordinated push among key European powers.
According to UK political sources, Starmer’s move is also tied to domestic political considerations, with a significant portion of Britain’s electorate calling for stronger action on Gaza. Reports suggest he is preparing to link recognition of a Palestinian state to tangible developments on the ground, including the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Netanyahu, however, dismissed such linkage as dangerous appeasement, warning that rewarding Hamas’s October 7th massacre with statehood would embolden radical Islamist forces worldwide.
This escalating war of words between Jerusalem and London adds to growing diplomatic tensions, as Israel now faces intensifying European pressure while its war against Hamas continues.
