Post by : Naveen Mittal

UK Recognition of Palestine Divides Opinion: Hope for Some, Betrayal for Others

The UK’s decision to formally recognise a Palestinian state has triggered sharp reactions at home and abroad, with families of hostages accusing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of rewarding Hamas, while Palestinians hailed it as a long-awaited step toward peace.

Mandy Damari, whose daughter Emily was held hostage for 15 months, said the move was premature. “The hostages are still not back, the war is not over and Hamas are still in power in Gaza. Even if Starmer thinks he is right, he is rewarding Hamas for the October 7 attack,” she told reporters. Emily, kidnapped during the Hamas assault on southern Israel, lost two fingers after being shot in the hand before her release in January.

Sir Keir defended his decision, insisting recognition was not a reward for Hamas—a proscribed terrorist group in the UK—but a bid to “revive the hope of peace for Palestinians and Israelis.” He said with the war in Gaza worsening and Israeli settlements expanding, the two-state solution was in danger of fading.

The coordinated announcement, made alongside Australia and Canada, drew strong criticism from Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a Palestinian state “will not happen” and accused London of handing a “huge reward to terrorism.” Israel’s foreign ministry echoed the view, calling the move “nothing but a reward for jihadist Hamas.”

Palestinians, however, welcomed the recognition. In the West Bank, 30-year-old Mohammad Hasib described the move as “wonderful,” urging more European countries to follow. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said it would help pave the way for coexistence with Israel “in security, peace and good neighbourliness.”

British politics also split sharply over the announcement. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called it “absolutely disastrous,” while Reform UK’s Nigel Farage labelled it “a reward for Hamas terrorists.”

On the other side, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and Green MP Ellie Chowns welcomed the recognition, calling it “historic” and “long overdue.” Palestinian diplomat Husam Zumlot said the UK had finally fulfilled a moral responsibility, but urged Britain to follow recognition with concrete action.

As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens—described by a UN official as “cataclysmic”—the UK’s move has become both a symbol of hope for Palestinians and a source of outrage for Israelis and hostage families.