Starmer faces backlash over New Year message after recognizing Palestinian state
Labour leader’s move to recognise a Palestinian state sparks criticism that his New Year greeting to Jews was tone-deaf
London — Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer faced sharp criticism over a New Year greeting to the Jewish community that some described as tone-deaf, coming just 24 hours after he announced that the United Kingdom would recognize a Palestinian state. Social media posts focused on his phrasing wishing Jewish Britons 'peace, health and sweetness' for Rosh Hashanah, with critics arguing the timing undercut the gesture.
Starmer's recognition of a Palestinian state was announced on Sunday as part of a broader diplomatic move aimed at reviving Middle East talks. In an op-ed published in an Israeli newspaper on the first day of the festival, he wrote that recognizing a Palestinian state was a moment to change direction toward peace and that Hamas would play no role in any future Palestinian government. He said Britain and its partners would help ensure that the state would be a peaceful, non-threatening neighbor.
Reaction was swift. Former Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz told reporters Starmer had a 'detachment from reality' and asked whether Britain would deploy boots on the ground to confront terrorism raging in the region. In Britain, supporters of Starmer argued the move was a necessary step toward a two-state solution, while critics said the two policies—recognition and the New Year post—sent a mixed signal to Hamas and to Israel.
Recognition of a Palestinian state by France, following Britain, Canada and Australia, sparked international debate. French President Emmanuel Macron told the United Nations General Assembly that recognition was a route to peace and a defeat for Hamas. Back home, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper urged Israel not to widen settlements in the West Bank while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the move and said Israel would respond after returning from the United Nations.
The diplomatic pressure intensified on Monday as Cooper pressed Israel to curb settlement expansion. The wave of recognitions by Western partners signaled shifting diplomatic currents in a fragile bid to advance a two-state solution, though critics warned that unilateral moves risked hardening positions on the ground.
Observers noted that the sequence of events—Starmer's New Year post, his controversial op-ed, and swift international reactions—underscored the complexity of balancing security concerns with a push for Palestinian statehood. While proponents argued that recognizing a Palestinian state could revive stalled negotiations, opponents warned that it could complicate peace efforts by provoking retaliatory measures and emboldening extremist factions. The week ahead was expected to test how the new alignment would influence policy in the Middle East, and whether the UK and its partners could sustain a credible path toward lasting peace.