The United Kingdom does not recognise Palestine as a state.[1] The UK has a non-accredited Consulate General in Jerusalem that "represents the UK government in Jerusalem, West Bank, and Gaza", and works on "political, commercial, security and economic interests between the UK and the Palestinian territories".[2]Husam Zomlot became head of the Palestine Mission to the United Kingdom in 2018.[3][4] The State of Palestine was represented in London by Manuel Hassassian,[5] the Palestinian General Delegate to the United Kingdom between 2005 and 2018. Another former Palestinian General Delegate to the UK was Afif Safieh, who began in that role in 1990.[citation needed] The UK House of Commons voted in favor of recognizing Palestine as a state in 2014, as a contribution towards achieving a negotiated two-state solution.[6] However, the UK government maintained its policy of reserving the right to recognize Palestine bilaterally at a more opportune time for peace efforts.
In February 2021, the British Consul-General in Jerusalem, Philip Hall, condemned settlements in the Israeli-occupied territories as "illegal and an obstacle to restarting peace talks" between Israel and Palestine.[9] That same month, the Court of First Instance in Nablus ruled that the British government's Balfour Declaration in 1917 was invalid and called on the British government to issue an apology to the Palestinian people.[10] In April, the Palestinian government said that relations had reached a "low point" after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his opposition to an International Criminal Court investigation into alleged war crimes in the Israeli-occupied territories.[11][12] In May, Pro-Palestinian protests were held in London during that month's Israel–Palestine crisis.[13]
Pro-Palestinian demonstration in London in May 2021
In October 2014, the UK House of Commons passed a motion which called on the government to recognise Palestine as an independent state.[18] Also in October 2014, the devolved government of Scotland called for recognition of Palestine as an independent state and for the UK to open an embassy there.[19]Jeremy Corbyn, former Leader of the Opposition, is a longtime advocate for Palestinian causes and repeatedly pledged to recognise the country if elected.[20]
In January 2024 the Foreign Secretary, David Cameron indicated that the United Kingdom could formally recognise and establish diplomatic relations to a Palestinian state during the negotiations for a peace deal of the Israel–Hamas war.[21] Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot remarked that it is the “first time a UK foreign secretary considers recognising the State of Palestine, bilaterally and in the UN, as a contribution to a peaceful solution rather than an outcome”.[22]
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