British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has warned Israel against using the UK’s recognition of Palestinian statehood as a justification to annex parts of the West Bank.
Ahead of a UN conference in New York on Monday, where France and other European nations are set to make similar declarations, Cooper emphasised to reporters the importance of respecting the security of both Israel and the Palestinians, reports the BBC.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a historic announcement on Sunday, recognising a Palestinian state, with Canada, Australia, and Portugal following suit. This shift in UK policy was met with condemnation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who criticised it as a “reward for terrorism”.
Cooper, when asked about concerns that Israel might retaliate by annexing more of the West Bank, affirmed that she had clearly communicated to her Israeli counterpart that such actions should not be taken.
“We have been clear that this decision that we are taking is about the best way to respect the security for Israel as well as the security for Palestinians,” she said. “It’s about protecting peace and justice and crucially security for the Middle East and we will continue to work with everyone across the region in order to be able to do that.”
Cooper also expressed concern over extremists on both sides who are undermining the possibility of a two-state solution, a goal the UK believes it has a moral obligation to support. “The easy thing to do would be to just walk away and to say well it is all just too hard,” she stated.
“We just think that is wrong when we’ve seen such devastation, such suffering. Just as we recognise Israel, the state of Israel… so we must also recognise the rights for the Palestinians to a state of their own as well.”
She did not provide a timeline for upgrading the UK’s Consulate General in East Jerusalem to a full embassy, noting that diplomatic discussions with the Palestinian Authority would continue.
At the UN, Cooper will advocate for international consensus on a framework for peace in the Middle East. France and Saudi Arabia are co-chairing a session focusing on the two-state solution, with Belgium expected to join in recognizing Palestinian statehood.
Starmer, in his announcement, expressed a desire to “revive hope for peace and the two-state solution”.
He also reaffirmed that Hamas must not play a role in any future Palestinian state, a stance supported by the UK’s sanctions against the group. The Foreign Office reiterated that Cooper would work at the UN to ensure that groups like Hamas are excluded from any political future for Palestine.
