Recognition of Palestinian state: Starmer ups the pressure
Britain has announced that it intends to recognise Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly at the end of September. Just a few days earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron made a similar announcement. However, British PM Keir Starmer has said he will only make this move if Israel fails to take significant steps to improve the situation in the Gaza Strip. The media take stock.
Macron's initiative is working
France's president has acted as a driving force on this issue, La Repubblica observes:
“The pro-Palestinian uprising in the Labour Party (over 150 MPs and key ministers such as Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner) played a decisive role for Starmer. ... Moreover, the party included recognition of Palestine in its government programme last year. At the same time, the wind is changing in Europe. Macron can chalk up a success after his diplomatic gamble a few days ago. People called the French leader foolhardy and Trump accused him of having 'no weight'. However, France's symbolic gesture has proved to be overwhelming, both politically and as regards public opinion.”
Discharging Britain's historical role
Starmer's move is commendable, says The Independent:
“The logic of the two-state solution is as unavoidable as ever. It needs a powerful and respected leader to restate the case in calm and compelling terms. If that cannot, for the time being, be a US leader, then it can be a British one. It falls to Sir Keir because he has so rapidly established himself on the world stage, he carries the confidence of President Trump, and is, in a sense, discharging Britain's historical role. ... It was also Britain, the last colonial power, that hurriedly abandoned Palestine to the UN in 1948, and left behind so much that remains unsettled. Sir Keir is taking a risk, both in the region and within his own party at home. He deserves unqualified support.”
Paris and London on the right track
The declarations must be followed by a fresh start in the Middle East, international relations expert Dominique Moïsi insists in Ouest-France:
“France is not isolated in its approach. ... A second member of the G7, the United Kingdom, has just changed its position. ... Clearly, mere declarations of intent will not solve the world's most complex geopolitical problem. ... Nevertheless, the French president's initiative is a step in the right direction. Ultimately, a triple regime or change of government is needed in the region: in Iran, Israel and in the Palestinian leadership. ... Because in their own way the mullahs, the Netanyahu government and Hamas all constitute a threat to their respective populations - and an obstacle to any hope for peace.”
Not enough to end the Gaza war
For De Standaard the recognition of Palestine is long overdue but not enough:
“The war in Gaza has given the recognition of Palestine a significance that it shouldn't really have. This move is now seen as an action that denounces Israel's misdeeds, when in actual fact recognising Palestine merely reverses years of a one-sided and pro-Israeli approach to the conflict. It is the minimum step required to get closer to a solution and should be completely decoupled from the war. Ending the war will take far more than the correction of a longstanding omission.”
Likely to fail on both fronts
Starmer's plan is totally unrealistic, The Daily Telegraph puts in:
“In Jerusalem, Sir Keir's demands will be met with cynicism: they look like an ultimatum addressed only to one side, dictated by the arbitrary deadline of the UN General Assembly. Indeed, the Prime Minister appears to be falling in line with Emmanuel Macron, rather than paying attention to Donald Trump, who has already indicated that he will veto any such recognition of Palestine. ... The Starmer peace plan looks at best a naive bid for a seat at the negotiating table, at worst a calculated attempt to appease Labour's pro-Gaza faction. ... Sir Keir is likely to fail on both fronts.”