Thursday, 09 May, 2024
The shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, has described Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state when the war in the Middle East ends as “unacceptable”.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he echoed Keir Starmer’s reaction to Israeli prime minister’s stance. Lammy said: “We are committed to the recognition of a Palestinian state. We want to work with international partners to achieve that.”
He said the US president, Joe Biden, was right to have committed to working towards helping the Palestinians move towards statehood.
“And I have to say, I think Netanyahu’s words were unacceptable,” he added. “Of course, the Palestinian people deserve a state, and if they don’t, the consequence of that is either one state in which Benjamin Netanyahu would have to explain how Palestinians and Israelis live side by-side with equal rights, or no state, in which what he is really saying is occupation, and siege continues.”
On Thursday, Netanyahu said he rejected any moves to establish a Palestinian state when Israel ends its offensive against Gaza, and that all territory west of the Jordan River would be under Israeli security control.
After Netanyahu’s comments, the White House national security adviser, John Kirby, told reporters: “There will be a post-conflict Gaza, no reoccupation of Gaza.”
Biden says two-state solution still possible after call with Netanyahu
Biden, however, voiced hope that establishing a Palestinian state was still possible even while Netanyahu remains in office after a call with the Israeli leader on Friday – their first talks in nearly a month.
Starmer this week criticised Netanyahu’s rejection of moves to establish a Palestinian state as “wrong and unacceptable”.
Rishi Sunak has previously said the UK’s longstanding position is that a two-state solution is the right outcome.
The UK Conservative government and the Labour opposition, along with the US, have said they back Israel’s right to defend itself after Hamas’s 7 October attacks. Both have expressed support for a “sustainable” ceasefire but have resisted calls to back an immediate one.
However, the Israeli government has been urged by western allies to limit the scope of its offensive and act within the parameters of international law.
Israel currently faces a case at the UN’s international court of justice brought by South Africa, which accuses it of genocide over its actions in Gaza – a charge Israel denies.
Earlier this week, the White House announced it was the “right time” for Israel to lower the intensity of its military action in Gaza. However, Netanyahu struck a defiant tone, repeatedly saying the offensive will not be halted until it realises its goals of destroying Hamas and bringing home all remaining hostages.
We have all been profoundly shaken by recent events in Israel and Gaza. This latest conflict marks the start of a chapter that is likely to affect millions of lives, both in the Middle East and further afield, for years to come. With reporters on the ground, and others producing live blogs, videos, podcasts and photo essays as the story unfolds, the Guardian is dedicated to bringing you independent, fact-checked journalism 24/7.
We appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for news right now. That’s why we choose to keep our journalism open for everyone. If this is you, please continue to read for free.
But if you can, can we count on your support at this perilous time? Here are three good reasons to make the choice to fund us today.
1. Our quality, investigative journalism is a scrutinising force at a time when the rich and powerful are getting away with more and more.
2. We are independent and have no billionaire owner controlling what we do, so your money directly powers our reporting.
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The shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, has described Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state when the war in the Middle East ends as “unacceptable”.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he echoed Keir Starmer’s reaction to Israeli prime minister’s stance. Lammy said: “We are committed to the recognition of a Palestinian state. We want to work with international partners to achieve that.”
He said the US president, Joe Biden, was right to have committed to working towards helping the Palestinians move towards statehood.
“And I have to say, I think Netanyahu’s words were unacceptable,” he added. “Of course, the Palestinian people deserve a state, and if they don’t, the consequence of that is either one state in which Benjamin Netanyahu would have to explain how Palestinians and Israelis live side by-side with equal rights, or no state, in which what he is really saying is occupation, and siege continues.”
On Thursday, Netanyahu said he rejected any moves to establish a Palestinian state when Israel ends its offensive against Gaza, and that all territory west of the Jordan River would be under Israeli security control.
After Netanyahu’s comments, the White House national security adviser, John Kirby, told reporters: “There will be a post-conflict Gaza, no reoccupation of Gaza.”
Biden says two-state solution still possible after call with Netanyahu
Biden, however, voiced hope that establishing a Palestinian state was still possible even while Netanyahu remains in office after a call with the Israeli leader on Friday – their first talks in nearly a month.
Starmer this week criticised Netanyahu’s rejection of moves to establish a Palestinian state as “wrong and unacceptable”.
Rishi Sunak has previously said the UK’s longstanding position is that a two-state solution is the right outcome.
The UK Conservative government and the Labour opposition, along with the US, have said they back Israel’s right to defend itself after Hamas’s 7 October attacks. Both have expressed support for a “sustainable” ceasefire but have resisted calls to back an immediate one.
However, the Israeli government has been urged by western allies to limit the scope of its offensive and act within the parameters of international law.
Israel currently faces a case at the UN’s international court of justice brought by South Africa, which accuses it of genocide over its actions in Gaza – a charge Israel denies.
Earlier this week, the White House announced it was the “right time” for Israel to lower the intensity of its military action in Gaza. However, Netanyahu struck a defiant tone, repeatedly saying the offensive will not be halted until it realises its goals of destroying Hamas and bringing home all remaining hostages.
We have all been profoundly shaken by recent events in Israel and Gaza. This latest conflict marks the start of a chapter that is likely to affect millions of lives, both in the Middle East and further afield, for years to come. With reporters on the ground, and others producing live blogs, videos, podcasts and photo essays as the story unfolds, the Guardian is dedicated to bringing you independent, fact-checked journalism 24/7.
We appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for news right now. That’s why we choose to keep our journalism open for everyone. If this is you, please continue to read for free.
But if you can, can we count on your support at this perilous time? Here are three good reasons to make the choice to fund us today.
1. Our quality, investigative journalism is a scrutinising force at a time when the rich and powerful are getting away with more and more.
2. We are independent and have no billionaire owner controlling what we do, so your money directly powers our reporting.
3. It doesn’t cost much, and takes less time than it took to read this message.
Choose to power the Guardian’s journalism for years to come, whether with a small sum or a larger one. If you can, please support us on a monthly basis from just $2. It takes less than a minute to set up, and you can rest assured that you’re making a big impact every single month in support of open, independent journalism. Thank you.
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