'Thank you, but it's too late': Why some Palestinians aren't convinced by Starmer's promise
1 August 2025 Share Save Jeremy Bowen International editor Share Save
BBC
One of the major reasons why Britain's prime minister Sir Keir Starmer - following France and then in turn followed by Canada - has a plan to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September is to turn the two-state solution into a real diplomatic plan again, instead of the empty slogan it has become since the Oslo peace process collapsed into bloodshed 25 years ago. A day driving around the West Bank is a salutary reminder of how facts created by Israel to stop that happening have been concreted into the rocky hills and valleys the Palestinians want for a state. The success of the huge national project that Israel started days after it captured the territory in the 1967 Middle East war can be seen in Jewish settlements that now are home to more than 700,000 Israelis. Getting them there is a project that has taken almost 60 years, billions of dollars, and drawn condemnation from friends as well as enemies. It is a violation of international law for an occupier to settle its citizens on the land it has taken. Last year, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory that said the entire occupation was illegal.
Continue Reading on BBC News
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.