The leader of the UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has condemned Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to recognise Palestine as a state, calling it “absolutely disastrous”.
She said on X on Sunday that she believed that the move rewards terrorism without any conditions for Hamas and failed to address the plight of hostages in Gaza or the suffering of civilians caught in the conflict.
Badenoch also argued that recognising Palestine without demanding concessions from Hamas legitimized terrorism while doing little to address the plight of civilians or the release of Israeli hostages.
According to her, “Disastrous. Absolutely disastrous. We will all rue the day this decision was made. Rewarding terrorism with no conditions whatsoever put in place for Hamas.
“It leaves hostages languishing in Gaza and does nothing to stop the suffering of innocent people caught in this war”, she added.
She further criticised Starmer’s handling of foreign policy, citing the recent settlement of Britain’s long-standing dispute with Mauritius, where the UK paid £35bn in reparations and surrendered the Chagos Islands.
Badenoch accused Starmer of lacking a coherent plan for the country and instead catering to “the hobby horses of the Labour left” to remain in power
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has also opposed the recognition, stating that no Palestinian state would be established west of the Jordan River and vowing to expand Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The UK joined over 150 countries in recognizing Palestine, with Canada and Australia also announcing their recognition on Sunday.
