Tory backlash after Cameron calls for Palestinian state to end Gaza conflict

Minister of Foreign Affairs David Cameron sparked a backlash from Tory MPs after he suggested Britain could push for official UK recognition of a Palestinian state.

The former prime minister said such a move could help resolve the currently stalled two-state solution. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is categorically against it – “irreversible” process.

Lord Cameron is ahead his last visit to the Middle East – laid out how Great Britain and its allies can increase the pressure Israel considering the recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN.

The Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Hussam Zomlot, called his words “significant”, but some senior Conservatives warned Rishi Sunakthe foreign minister should not push too far or too fast.

Ex-Tory cabinet minister Theresa Villiers said recognizing a Palestinian state would be a 'reward' Hamas“atrocities” after the October 7 terrorist attack.

Another senior Tory, Sir Michael Ellis, said the move could lead to “dangerous actors” gaining “state access and capabilities”.

But senior Conservative MPs appear to be divided on the issue. This was announced by senior Tory MP Bob Seeley, a member of the Special Committee on Foreign Affairs The Independent that he welcomed Lord Cameron's “constructive” idea.

“I think it's an attractive idea,” Mr Seeley said. “I think, recognizing the condition Palestine sooner rather than later could give the process an important boost.”

Senior Tory MP Alicia Cairns, head of the foreign affairs committee, also welcomed Lord Cameron's comments, saying they represented a “fundamental change in the UK's position”.

She told LBC: “From my point of view, it's very good. But what I need to tease out of the government over the next few days is this is a position to show Israel that if they don't change their behavior … that there are tools that we have? Or is it a genuine commitment to a Palestinian state? Where should we go.”

Lord Cameron said a London during a reception, it was necessary to give the Palestinian people a “political horizon” to end the war between Israel and Hamas, when he spoke at a reception for Arab ambassadors in parliament.

The Foreign Secretary suggested that Britain and other countries could formally recognize a Palestinian state during peace talks, rather than waiting for a final peace deal with Israel.

“We have to start defining what a Palestinian state will look like — what it will include, how it will work,” he said Monday night.

“As this happens, we and our allies will consider the issue of recognizing the Palestinian state, including at the UN.” That could be one of the things that helps make this process irreversible,” said Lord Cameron.

Last week, the foreign minister pushed Mr. Netanyahu to renegotiate talks aimed at a two-state solution. But Mr Netanyahu rejected the push from Western allies, including the US, saying the plan would “endanger the state of Israel”. The Israeli prime minister also criticized what he called “an attempt to force us.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Netanyahu ruled out Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza or the release of thousands of militants – both key demands of Hamas in the ongoing ceasefire talks. The Israeli leader once again promised that the war will not end without an “absolute victory” over Hamas.

Both Number 10 and junior foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell hit back at Lord Cameron's comments on Tuesday, insisting there had been “no change” in UK policy. A spokesman for Mr. Sunak said recognition of a Palestinian state would come “at a time when it best serves the cause of peace.”

However, Labor welcomed Lord Cameron's proposal. Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy told MPs: “As Keir Starmer said, statehood is not a gift from a neighbor – it is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people.”

Mr Lammy added: “I welcome the Foreign Secretary taking this position and rejecting the notion that recognition can only come after the negotiations are complete.”

But Tory MPs have shared their concerns in the House of Commons. Ms Villiers said it was “really worrying” that Lord Cameron appeared to have “changed the UK Government's approach”.

“Would the minister agree with me that promoting and accelerating the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state would be a reward for the crimes of Hamas?” she asked.

Mr Mitchell replied: “There is no question of rewarding Hamas for the horrific acts they carried out during the October 7 massacre.”

“But the foreign minister pointed out that we have to give the people of the West Bank and Gaza a secure path to a Palestinian state and a new future, but we have to do that when the time comes.”

Sir Michael warned that “unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state now” risks “arming these dangerous actors … with the trappings and capabilities of a state”.

Tory MP Greg Smith also questioned Lord Cameron's comments, saying “the grim reality is that Hamas is not committed to a ceasefire, and Israel cannot reasonably be expected to pursue one with a group that actively seeks to destroy it”.

And Stephen Crabb, another former cabinet minister, said Lord Cameron's gesture was “noble” but questioned what “talks about early recognition” of Palestinian statehood would really achieve in the coming months.

The Palestinian ambassador to the UK called Lord Cameron's words a “significant” moment and even referred to the “Cameron Declaration” in a statement on social media.

Mr Zomlot said: “This is the first time that a UK foreign secretary has seen the recognition of a Palestinian state bilaterally and at the UN as a contribution to a peace solution rather than an outcome.”

Lord Cameron, whose latest trip to the region began with talks in Oman, said Britain would do “everything possible” to prevent “conflict spilling over”. The foreign minister met with his Omani counterpart, Saeed Badr Albusaidi, to discuss tensions in the region.

Attack on IranA Jordanian-backed militia attack last weekend that killed three US troops and wounded dozens has fueled fresh fears about the West's confrontation with Tehran.

Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he had decided how the US would respond to the deadly drone strike. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iranian-backed militia group, claimed responsibility.

But against whom the retaliatory measures will be directed, the US president did not say. Asked whether he blamed Iran, Mr Biden said: “I hold them [Iran] responsibility in the sense that they supply weapons to those who did it,” he said. The US president added: “I don't think we need a wider war in the Middle East.”