British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Sunday that the United Kingdom is officially recognizing a Palestinian state, despite strong opposition from the United States and Israel.

His announcement follows those from Canada and Australia, in what appears to be a coordinated initiative from the Commonwealth nations.

Faced with pressure from within his own Labour Party to take a firmer stance on Israel, Starmer clarified that the decision aims “to reignite the hope of peace for both Palestinians and Israelis.” He emphasized that Hamas will not play a part in any future Palestinian governance.

“We must unite our endeavors toward a peaceful future, focusing on releasing hostages, ending hostilities, reducing suffering, and steering back to a two-state solution as the optimal hope for peace and security for all parties involved,” Starmer stated.

While the measure holds primarily symbolic significance, it is a landmark event given the U.K.’s historical involvement in establishing the groundwork for the Israeli state, dating back to its administration of the area known as Palestine in 1917.

The announcement comes after Starmer indicated in July that the U.K. would acknowledge a Palestinian state, provided that Israel ceased fire in Gaza, permitted U.N. aid deliveries, and pursued other measures toward lasting peace.

The United Kingdom joins over 140 countries that have already recognized a Palestinian state, with additional recognitions, including that of France, anticipated to occur at the U.N. General Assembly this week.

Not universally agreed

The U.K.’s recognition of a Palestinian state comes just days after a state visit from U.S. President Donald Trump, during which he voiced his disapproval of the plan.

Critics, including the U.S. and the Israeli government, which has shown no interest in a two-state solution, have condemned the plans, saying it rewards Hamas for its attack on Oct. 7, 2023. As well as arguing that recognition is immoral, critics argue that it’s an empty gesture given that the Palestinian people are divided into two territories — the West Bank and Gaza — with no recognized international capital.

Historical overlay

France and the U.K. have a historic role in the politics of the Middle East over the past 100 years, having carved up the region following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I.

As part of that carve-up, the U.K. became the governing power of what was then Palestine. It was also author of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which backed the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people.”

However, the second part of the declaration has been largely neglected over the decades. It noted “that nothing shall be done, nothing which may prejudice the civil and religious rights” of the Palestinian people.

“It’s significant for France and the U.K. to recognize Palestine because of the legacy of these two countries’ involvement in the Middle East,” said Burcu Ozcelik, senior research fellow for Middle East Security at London-based Royal United Services Institute. “But without the United States coming on board with the idea of a Palestine, I think very little will change on the ground.”

The Palestinian head of mission in the U.K. Husam Zomlot told the BBC that recognition would right a colonial-era wrong.

“The issue today is ending the denial of our existence that started 108 years ago, in 1917,” he said. “And I think today, the British people should celebrate a day when history is being corrected, when wrongs are being righted, when recognition of the wrongs of the past are beginning to be corrected.”

Change of tack

The U.K. has for decades supported an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, but insisted recognition must come as part of a peace plan to achieve a two-state solution.

However, the government has become increasingly worried that such a solution is becoming all but impossible – not only because of the razing of Gaza and displacement of most of its population during nearly two years of conflict, but because Israel’s government is aggressively expanding settlements in the West Bank, land Palestinians want for their future state. Much of the world regards Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, which is ostensibly run by the Palestinian Authority, as illegal.

“This move has symbolic and historic weight, makes clear the U.K.’s concerns about the survival of a two-state solution, and is intended to keep that goal relevant and alive,” said Olivia O’Sullivan, Director of the U.K. in the World Programme at the London-based think tank, Chatham House.