Israel has frantically opposed Britain’s plans to join several other Western countries, including France and Canada, in recognising a Palestinian state later this month unless Israel meets conditions, including a ceasefire in Gaza.
Against this backdrop, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he had argued with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street during a meeting that highlighted the deep disagreements between the two sides over the war in Gaza.
The meeting comes a day after Israel expanded its attacks on Hamas by launching an air strike aimed at killing the Islamist group’s political leaders in Qatar, a British ally in the Middle East, which Starmer condemned.
‘Harsh and blunt things were said, and clearly we can argue, because when allies meet, they can argue,’ Herzog said at a subsequent event at Chatham House.
Isaac Herzog, President of Israel, and Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, during meetings on 11 September at Downing Street, London – PHOTO/X/ISAAC HERZOG
He said Starmer’s plan for a Palestinian state and his views on humanitarian aid in Gaza had been at the root of the disagreement and added that he had invited the British government to undertake a fact-finding mission to Israel.
Starmer’s office said the British leader implored Herzog to change course on Gaza, expressing deep concern about the humanitarian crisis and urging Israel to allow aid in and halt offensive operations.
He reaffirmed that the UK and Israel were ‘long-standing allies’ and said he remains committed to working for a lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Earlier, the two men had shaken hands briefly without smiling on the steps of Downing Street before entering the building.
Starmer also raised with Herzog the Israeli air strike on Qatar, condemning the incident as ‘completely unacceptable’.
‘He said the attacks were a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of a key partner and did nothing to secure the peace we all desperately want to see,’ a Downing Street spokesman said.
The Gaza war has strained Israel’s relations with Britain and other European countries. Britain has barred Israeli officials from attending its largest defence trade fair, which is being held this week.
Starmer is under pressure from politicians in his own party to take a tougher stance towards Israel, but on Wednesday he told Parliament that diplomacy is needed to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and get Hamas to release Israeli hostages.
Isaac Herzog, President of Israel, and Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, alongside their teams during meetings on 11 September at Downing Street, London – PHOTO/X/ISAAC HERZOG
Herzog’s role as Israel’s president is largely ceremonial, but he caused anger when he said that all Gaza residents were responsible for the Hamas-led attack on Israel following the attacks on 7 October 2023.
When asked on Wednesday why he was meeting with Herzog, Starmer said: ‘I will not give up on diplomacy, that is the policy of the students.’
Wes Streeting, Starmer’s health minister, said this week that Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza was leading the country to ‘pariah status’.
Starmer also met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday, where they agreed that there will be ‘absolutely no role’ for Hamas in the future government of a Palestinian state.
Britain has promised to recognise a Palestinian state before the UN General Assembly later this month, unless Israel meets four conditions, including ending the war in Gaza and allowing more aid into the Palestinian enclave.