Labour will recognise a Palestinian state when it gets permission from Israel

Sir Keir Starmer has said that the party will no longer abide by the policy of recognising a Palestinian state without Israel's consent

The Labour leader said that a future Labour government would not recongise a state of Palestine

By James Walker (@James_L_Walker, Political Reporter)

A couple of weeks ago, Starmer dropped Labour's commitment to unilaterally recognise an independent Palestinian state.

In a speech to the Labour Friends of Israel conference, Starmer said that the party would now only recognise a Palestinian state if it was agreed to by Israel.

"We will not recognise a Palestinian state until there is a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians," Starmer said.

The move is a significant shift in Labour's policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Under former leader Jeremy Corbyn, Labour pledged to recognise a Palestinian state within the first 100 days of taking office.

However, Starmer has said that he believes that the only way to achieve a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians is through a negotiated settlement.

"I believe that the only way to achieve a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians is through a negotiated settlement," Starmer said.

"We will not recognise a Palestinian state until there is a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians."

The move has been welcomed by some in the pro-Israel community, but it has also been criticised by some on the left of the Labour Party.