David Vance SubstackRead More
When President Trump was here UK PM Starmer was on his best behaviour. But as soon as Air Force one went wheels up, he shows his true colours.
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state in a statement on Sunday afternoon. The prime minister said in July that the UK would shift its position unless Israel met several conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and committing to a long-term peace process leading to a Palestinian state co-existing alongside Israel. The Israeli leadership has ruled this out since the start of the war following Hamas’s attack in southern Israel on 7 October 2023 in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. The PM’s move has drawn fierce criticism from the Israeli government, families of hostages held in Gaza and some Conservatives.
Next week, many other countries will join the UK in recognising “Palestine”. However it is the UK which is first to rush to the side of the Palestinians. Why is this? Well, it’s plainly NOT seen as important by the majority of the British people.
But it is VERY important to two key client groups for the Prime Minister.
His backbenchers are fervently pro recognising “Palestine”. His key Muslim voting demographic are also pro recognising “Palestine”. Starmer hopes that he can appease these two groups and keep himself in power.
There is the rather awkward fact that “Palestine” does not actually exist, a bit like Narnia. It also completely fails the key tests as to whether a State can be recognised.
Under international law, statehood requires four criteria: a permanent population, a defined territory, an effective government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. You can see instantly why this is an immediate fail. So for Starmer to push something which is plainly in violation of international law is evidence of his own political desperation.
Starmer’s response is to claim this is a “moral duty”
Hamas and the PA are both vicious terrorist organisations. October 7th showed this. How is it moral to reward the monsters that carried this out with Statehood?
No, morality is out the window here. This is all about political expediency and speaks to how weak the Prime Minister finds himself. I see this as a moment of shame for the UK and the fact that it was delayed until AFTER the Trump visit is a further sign of political cowardice.
When you reward these people, you have no morality.
Then there are the host of very awkward questions that flow from this announcement;
What are the borders of this “new” state? What is the capital city? What is its constitution? Who forms the government? Who is the leader?
There are no answers because there are none. This is a monumental fraud.
