The UK’s Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, hinted at the possibility of formally recognizing a Palestinian state after Israel’s conflict with Hamas, despite potential backlash and Israel’s opposition.
Cameron emphasized the need to provide Palestinians with a political horizon to foster peace in the Middle East and suggested that recognizing a Palestinian state could make the peace process irreversible.
This stance was praised by the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, who viewed it as a historic move that could remove Israel’s veto power over Palestinian statehood.
“As that happens, we – with allies – will look at the issue of recognising a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations,” Foreign Secretary David Cameron said.
“That could be one of the things that helps to make this process irreversible.”
“It is the first time a UK foreign secretary considers recognising the State of Palestine, bilaterally and in the U.N., as a contribution to a peaceful solution rather than an outcome,” Palestinian ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot said.
“If implemented, the Cameron declaration would remove Israel’s veto power over Palestinian statehood [and] would boost efforts towards a two-state outcome.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously dismissed the idea of a Palestinian state, and public opinion in Israel has shifted against it, particularly after conflicts initiated by Hamas.
