What Does the UK’s Recognition of Palestine Mean?
Hamdan Vohra, BA Politics and International Relations
The UK recognised the State of Palestine on September 21st 2025, 108 years after the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which promised Palestine as ‘a national home for Jewish people’. In a video statement on X, the Prime Minister said, ‘In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and a two-state solution.’
In July, the UK government stated that if Israel failed to 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’, it would recognise Palestinian statehood. This pledge ultimately led to the recognition this September.
This historic move prompted several Western allies, including Canada, Australia and France, to also recognise Palestine just two days before the UN General Assembly where Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza and the elusive two-state solution were key points of focus.
However, Israel and the United States strongly condemned the recognition, calling it a ‘diplomatic gift’ which would only embolden Hamas. In a video statement, Netanyahu said that the establishment of a Palestinian state ‘will not happen’ and promoted the expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank; ‘For years I prevented the establishment of this terror state, facing great pressures, domestic and foreign... Not only that, we doubled the Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria. The response to the latest attempt to force a terror state on us in the heart of our land will be given after my return from the US.’
The Israeli opposition leader described the move as a ‘reward for terrorism’, while far-right minister Ben Gvir called for the annexation of the West Bank and the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
In contrast, UK Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer disagreed with the criticism, saying that recognition is not a reward for Hamas, ‘because it means Hamas can have no future, no role in governance, no role in security’, according to a statement he made on X.
Palestinian reactions were mixed. President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the UK's decision, saying it would help the ‘state of Palestine to live side by side with the state of Israel in security, peace and good neighbourliness’.
Hamas also welcomed the recognition as an ‘important step in affirming the right of our Palestinian people to their land and holy sites’, but stressed it must be accompanied by ‘practical measures’ leading to an ‘immediate end’ to the genocide.
Public opinion in the UK appears to support the recognition. According to a YouGov poll, 44% of Britons support recognising Palestinian statehood, compared to just 18% who oppose. This view is also reflected across political parties. While Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch called the move ‘rewarding terrorism with no conditions whatsoever put in place for Hamas,’ Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey welcomed it as ‘long overdue,’ a sentiment echoed by Green Party MP Ellie Chowns, who stated, ‘Palestinian lives have been treated as bargaining chips.’
The state of Palestine is now recognised by 81% of UN member states. The state of Palestine comprises two enclaves: The West Bank, including East Jerusalem as its capital, and the Gaza Strip. These areas correspond to the 1949 armistice lines following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the ethnic cleansing during the Nakba.
Recognition is argued to be symbolic, as it does not end genocide, occupation and apartheid. However, it provides Palestine with a stronger international standing and allows it to exert greater diplomatic pressure on the international community, particularly Western nations, to support a two-state solution; a concept that dates back to Mandatory Palestine. This recognition also enables Palestine to establish embassies with full diplomatic status, engage in trade agreements, garner support at international forums, and approach the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Nevertheless, analysts and NGOs have criticised the UK’s and other European states' recognition as performative, arguing it must be accompanied by meaningful action.
Amnesty International has accused the UK of complicity. In a statement, the organisation said, ‘Words alone won't stop the atrocities. Recognition must be tied to real accountability: the UK must halt UK arms exports, divest from arms companies that continue to sell arms to Israel, sanction Israeli officials implicated in crimes under international law and stop trade with settlements.’
Palestinian analyst Yara Hawari, describes the recognition by European states as ‘diplomatic fiction’ which fragments ‘historic Palestine into geographic and political enclaves’. She warned that such recognition can serve as a distraction from complicity and delay meaningful action.
