UK Recognition of Palestine – Overdue, overcomplicated, and utterly contradictory
London, 30th July 2025- Today, the UK Government has finally announced that it will recognise the State of Palestine in September, but provides the Israeli Government with conditions which, if met, may result in the UK reneging on recognition. Such conditions are an insult to the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination.
As well as being insulting, such a policy is also confusing and utterly contradictory. The Government has long stated that recognition must be part of “a contribution to a peace process.” However, one of the conditions presented to Israel to prevent recognition is that it must take “substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution.”
Such a position appears to indicate that if steps are taken towards a peace process, that this would then stop the UK from recognising Palestine, which by its previous logic, would hinder the realisation of a Palestinian state. There is no coherence between these two positions. In fact, they are directly contradictory.
Similarly, another condition indicates that: Israel must make “clear that there will be no annexations in the West Bank.” This comes days after the Israeli Knesset approved a symbolic motion on annexation of the West Bank, overwhelmingly by 71 votes to 13.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) reaffirmed the illegality of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in its July 2024 Advisory Opinion. De jure annexation by Israel shows Israel’s intent to not only disregard this Opinion, but to completely annex the West Bank.
By this logic, the UK’s new position now suggests that if Israel continues to annex the West Bank, the UK will recognise Palestine, but if Israel ends the occupation, and essentially accepts Palestinian sovereignty, then the UK would not necessarily recognise Palestinian sovereignty itself. The position is confused, overcomplicated and utterly contradictory.
It is also obscenely overdue and it shows weakness that recognition took this long to come. The decision comes less than a week after some 220 MPs from nine political parties called for the Prime Minister to recognise Palestine, and less than a week after France declared that it would do so too.
There are only 46 states that are yet to recognise Palestine, including France, the UK and Malta, which has also said it will recognise Palestine in September. For too long, the UK has risked damaging its reputation in the international community just to satisfy a rogue, pariah state that it considers an ally.
Finally, whilst recognition is an important diplomatic move, it must not be a valve to release pressure on the UK taking concrete action. Most urgently, this requires the UK to call for the dismantling of the so-called ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ and its replacement with UN-led coordination mechanisms. It also requires the UK to clarify its use of spy planes from RAF Akrotiri, close the F-35 loophole for arms exports, and introduce safe passage for Palestinian refugees that guarantees the right of return.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- 1. The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians and aim to protect their rights through the law.
- 2. Image Credits: Simon Dawson via Number 10, Flickr
- 3. For more information, to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact the ICJP news desk at press@icjpalestine.com.