Britain may unilaterally recognize Palestinian state

Foreign Secretary David Cameron says Britain might not wait for negotiated settlement with Israel.

By World Israel News Staff

The United Kingdom may not wait for Israel and the Palestinian Authority to reach a negotiated settlement, instead unilaterally recognizing Palestinian statehood, Foreign Secretary and former British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Speaking in Beirut during a state visit Thursday, the former Conservative premier hinted that Britain could take unilateral steps to recognize Palestinian statehood even before a deal is reached with Israel, while adding that such a move could only come after Hamas has been removed from power in the Gaza Strip.

“You can’t have a two-state solution with Gaza still controlled by the people responsible for 7 October,” Cameron said.

British recognition of Palestinian statehood “can’t come at the start of the process, but it doesn’t have to be the very end of the process,” Cameron told The Associated Press during his Lebanon visit.

“It could be something that we consider as this process, as this advance to a solution, becomes more real.”

“What we need to do is give the Palestinian people a horizon towards a better future, the future of having a state of their own.”

Cameron added that he believes the promise of Palestinian statehood to be “absolutely vital for the long-term peace and security of the region.”

The Foreign Secretary called for a truce between Israel and Hamas, with a ceasefire then serving as the starting point for a cessation of the war.

The comments come amid reports this week that the Biden administration is considering recognizing Palestinian statehood after the current war.