Why this reality persists even after 151, out of 193, UN member states recognised Palestine

In October 2023, Israel launched yet another indiscriminate attack on Gaza. Almost two years on, the death toll in Gaza has already exceeded 65,000. Nearly all of the 2.1 million residents of the besieged enclave have been displaced multiple times. Recently, Israel began a full-scale assault on Gaza City, the largest city in the territory. The objective is clear — to empty this densely populated city completely and seize control of it. In this situation, international pressure on the United States, the United Kingdom, and other Western countries to force Israel to end the war and genocide is steadily increasing.

According to analysts, recognising the State of Palestine could play a helpful role in intensifying this pressure. So far, out of 193 UN member states, 151 have recognised Palestine as a state, mostly in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. On 28 September, the United Kingdom officially recognised Palestine as a state. Australia, Portugal and Canada took the same decision. These steps were taken just before the opening of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 23 September. France and Belgium have also recognised Palestine as a state.

In his announcement, the British Prime Minister said, “The United Kingdom has formally recognised Palestine as a state to revive the two-state solution for peace between Palestinians and Israelis.” However, given the complete absence of any active diplomatic efforts, it seems that the UK’s decision was more about protecting rather than reviving the two-state solution. Even so, the political message from London was clear — it is possible to achieve a just and lasting peace for both Palestine and Israel.

Whatever Jerusalem and Washington may think at this moment, for the UK this was a long-overdue decision. Back in 1917, the then British government, through the infamous Balfour Declaration, had supported the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. But Keir Starmer had already made up his mind earlier in the summer. He had declared that Palestine would be recognised if Israel failed to meet several conditions — especially a ceasefire in Gaza and a pledge not to annex any part of the occupied West Bank. His government had no intention of honouring Netanyahu’s administration, which is currently carrying out a full-scale ground invasion in Gaza and forcibly displacing people. Several members of Netanyahu’s government have even expressed their intention to annex the West Bank.

Since the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023, the British government has been supporting Israel’s actions in Gaza without objection. Both the Conservative administration under Rishi Sunak and the Labour government under Keir Starmer, which took office in July 2024, have supported Israel’s position. They have claimed respect for international law, humanitarian law, and the principle of proportionality in the use of force, while placing greater emphasis on Israel’s narrative and its claimed right to self-defence. But Israel has systematically violated those principles. Over the past 18 months, Palestinian civilians have been brutally killed, journalists and aid workers of the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies have been targeted, and people have been forcibly displaced inside Gaza. Despite obstructing humanitarian aid, killing starving people waiting in food lines, and destroying key infrastructure, none of this has shifted the British government from its appalling stance.

In recent months, however, the staggering casualties in Gaza, public sentiment in Britain, and pressure from civil society have changed the country’s thinking. The ruling by the International Court of Justice on Israel’s acts of genocide and the move to prosecute top Israeli leaders for war crimes have significantly altered Britain’s political calculations. Before entering politics, Keir Starmer was a lawyer, and with mounting legal evidence of Israel’s genocidal acts, he could no longer ignore it under pressure from his own MPs. On 16 September, the UN Commission of Inquiry released a report stating there were strong grounds to conclude that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The British Prime Minister deserves credit for his historic decision that followed.

Australia and Canada joined the UK in recognising the State of Palestine — a development that is anything but ordinary. Together with the United States and New Zealand, they form the “Five Eyes” alliance, an intelligence-sharing network more significant than NATO. It is clear that these three countries have dared to speak on an extremely sensitive issue for Washington, challenging the United States’ unwavering support for Israel. Given the long-standing relationship between the US and the UK, this decision by London is of great significance to the world. Historically, British governments have operated within an unwritten rule: in matters of foreign and security policy, Britain has always avoided irritating the United States.

Over two decades ago, in 2003, during the Iraq War, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair persuaded the George W. Bush administration to seek UN approval for regime change in Baghdad. That effort failed, and since then, the US and the UK have continued their strategic contest. Now, at last, Britain has recognised the State of Palestine.

For Netanyahu’s government, this is a deeply disturbing development, particularly as the pro-Israel US administration remains in Washington. The British Prime Minister now faces two major challenges that could define the UK’s role and interests on the global stage: its relationship with Europe and the United States. In particular, he must position Britain amid the controversial policies and protectionist measures adopted by the Trump administration, including the imposition of trade tariffs against European nations. Another major issue is Europe’s relationship with China, as Beijing pursues a vision of a parallel global order alongside BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The recent summit held in Tianjin, China, on 1 September symbolised this agenda. Britain is trying to address key trade issues with the United States directly while remaining cautious not to openly sever ties with China.

Meanwhile, the UK must continue its efforts within the transatlantic alliance, particularly in assisting Ukraine against Russian aggression and in strengthening Europe’s security framework, as America’s commitment to defending the continent now appears uncertain. China’s role in global trade and its vast market exert immense influence on the European economy — even greater than that of the US. The emerging world order led by BRICS and SCO nations cannot be ignored. The US has urged Europe to avoid alternative relations with China at all costs, but the economic losses Europe would suffer from such a decoupling are ones the US could never compensate for. So far, both the UK and the EU have been careful not to antagonise the Trump administration, while at the same time remaining cautious about cutting ties with China.

Following Israel’s bombing of Gaza, the Trump administration’s failure to reassure its allies sent a devastating message — one that both London and Brussels should remember well. Now is the time to recognise the strategic autonomy that could come from redefining the long-standing UK-US relationship. In 2012, the UN General Assembly recognised Palestine as a non-member observer state.

In April 2024, a proposal for Palestine’s full UN membership was brought before the Security Council, but the United States vetoed it. A resolution adopted in the General Assembly last May stated that Palestine should be considered eligible for full membership and encouraged the Security Council to reconsider the matter. Yet Palestine remains without full UN membership.

Clearly, despite American opposition, Washington has failed to stop other governments from recognising Palestine. The horrific images of famine in Gaza, Israel’s ongoing military aggression, and the outrage and public pressure these have generated have driven many governments to take this step.

Rayhan Ahmed Tapader: Researcher and columnist