A delegation of senior British parliamentarians visiting Israel has harshly criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer's intention to recognize a Palestinian state. Former minister Sir Gavin Williamson, Labour's Lord John Woodcock, and Conservative MP Bob Blackman are touring Israel this week.
Speaking to Israel Hayom, the senior British Conservative and Labour figures argued that Starmer's plan would do nothing to advance the two-state solution or alleviate Palestinian suffering. They warned it could instead embolden terrorist organizations like Hamas and alienate key allies such as Israel.
Gavin Williamson, a former UK defense and education secretary who is now in the Conservative opposition, accused Starmer of acting out of fear rather than strategic vision. "My instinct is that if Starmer does this, it will be out of weakness, not due to a considered strategy, but fear of Labour backbenchers," he said.
Asked whether political pressure was behind Starmer's statement, Williamson replied, "Yes, political pressure," adding that such a step was not right for the current moment. As a former defense secretary, he emphasized Israel's vital importance to the UK. "The threat landscape is different, and the daily challenges vary. But both countries must stay united in their understanding that cooperation helps them better confront these threats."
Lord John Woodcock, a Labour Party member, also supports the two-state framework in principle but said this was the wrong time for such a move. "The critical thing is how you go about it," he said. "Many of us in Britain would be disappointed if the UK followed France and tried to shortcut the process without recognizing realities on the ground."
Asked whether he supported the two-state vision in theory but not its immediate implementation, Woodcock replied, "Correct. We support the vision, but it has always been clear that there needs to be a negotiated agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Right now, Israel is at war [in Gaza]. There are still 50 hostages, some alive, some dead, being held by Hamas. The idea that Britain or the West should take action that Hamas and Iran would view as a reward is grim. It won't bring us closer to two states. It won't ease Palestinian suffering, which we are deeply concerned about. It will only embolden the extremists."
Asked what he would tell Starmer if the prime minister were to call him after the visit, Woodcock answered: "Focus on the immediate crisis. You still haven't gotten your hostages back, and many people in Gaza are suffering from severe malnutrition and are at risk of famine. None of this change by a symbolic act of recognition from Britain."
Veteran Conservative MP Bob Blackman, who first visited Israel in the 1990s, described the UK's internal struggles since the outbreak of the war. "What shocked me most in the UK were people celebrating in the streets. It was astonishing that these hate marches against Israel continued week after week. Palestinian propaganda was allowed to flourish. All of this has put immense pressure on the British government," said Blackman, noting that despite being in opposition, he believed the government had contributed to the belief among MPs that Palestinians should be rewarded for what they suffer at Israel's hands.
"In my view, the last thing we should do is reward Hamas with a state after the atrocities they committed on October 7, 2023," Blackman said. "Israel's biggest problem in the UK is that Hamas propaganda is received very strongly. Even the media reports what Hamas claims as fact, even though we know from the ground that it's not true. Israel simply doesn't get the same level of sympathy in our media as Hamas, and that's a real problem."
