Putney MP Quizzes PM on Palestinian Statehood
Fleur Anderson asks Rishi Sunak to clarify the government's stance
Fleur Anderson addresses the House during Prime Minister's Questions
February 9, 2024
During Prime Minister’s Question Time this Wednesday (7 February), Putney’s MP raised the issue of the recognition of a Palestinian state.
Fleur Anderson pressed Rishi Sunak to make clear the UK government's stance on the matter including whether or not there was still a commitment to recognising both sovereign states, as a crucial element of working towards a two-state solution.
She told the PM that she had been inundated by correspondence from constituents calling for an immediate end to the violence and for peacebuilding to begin without delay adding, “It is not in the gift of any country, including the UK, to designate which states are sovereign. The Prime Minister’s weakness and conflicting messages on this issue actively undermine Britain’s role in supporting Israel and Palestine towards a peaceful, long-term resolution and a two-state solution.”
The Labour MP was one of the only UK politicians to have visited Palestine and Israel last year, just before the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October.
She has also called in Parliament for the government to prioritise the delivery of aid into Gaza, and articulated extreme concern that food and water may be being withheld from Gazans in contravention of international law.
Rishi Sunak responded by saying, “Our long-standing position has been that we will recognise a Palestinian state at a time that is most conducive to the peace process.”
Ms Anderson subsequently wrote to Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron expressing concern at the UK’s decision to pause UNWRA funding aid in Palestine, the sale of weapons, the upholding of International Law and for an update on the progress in releasing hostages.
She continued: “As elected representatives, we have a moral obligation to advocate for the rights and dignity of all people, and recognising a Palestinian state is a crucial step towards achieving a just and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Through recognising a Palestinian state, the UK demonstrates its commitment to upholding international law and supporting the two-state solution, which is widely regarded globally as the framework for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.”
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