British Jewish groups expressed deep concern on Tuesday that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s proposition of a Palestinian state would be a reward for terrorism.
Earlier in the evening, the British prime minister announced that the UK would recognize a Palestinian state should Israel not agree to a Gaza ceasefire by September.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews announced that it was seeking urgent clarification from the British government that it will not recognize a Palestinian state if the hostages are not returned or if Hamas continues to reject a ceasefire.
“We must neither forsake the hostages nor reward Hamas terror or intransigence,” it said.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) called Starmer’s declaration “morally indefensible.”
“There are still hostages held in torturous conditions in Hamas dungeons in Gaza. Starmer should be saying that he will take the issue of Palestinian statehood off the table if the hostages are not returned by September or sooner,” the organization said.
A reward for violence
It added that the statement sends “the worst message possible: that mass murder, rape, and hostage-taking are legitimate paths to diplomatic gain.”
The CAA argued that this constitutes a form of appeasement, something which will “embolden extremists,” who will choose to hang on for another month “to receive their reward.”
“Recognition of a Palestinian state should never be wielded as a political weapon. Doing so in the aftermath of an antisemitic pogrom is not only reckless, it is shameful.”
Progressive Judaism released a statement saying it remains firmly committed to a just and peaceful two-state solution, but that a Palestinian state “must not be a reward for violence.”
While it welcomed Starmer’s demands on Hamas, it expressed concern that recognition may embolden “those who reject peace.”
“We call on the UK government to ensure that this step strengthens the forces of peace, not extremism, and creates real leverage for a negotiated outcome.”
Emily Damari, a British-Israeli citizen who was held hostage by Hamas for 471 days, wrote on Instagram that she was “deeply saddened” by Starmer’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state, as “it risks rewarding terror” and sends “a dangerous message: that violence earns legitimacy.”
“By legitimizing a state entity while Hamas still controls Gaza and continues its campaign of terror, the prime minister is not promoting a solution; he is prolonging the conflict. Recognition under these conditions emboldens extremists and undermines any hope for genuine peace,” she wrote.