Dozens of British mosques urge Starmer to recognise Palestine

Dozens of British mosques have signed a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcoming the suspension of UK-Israel trade talks and urging the government to recognise a Palestinian state.

On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that the UK is summoning the Israeli ambassador in London and suspending its free trade agreement talks with Israel.

Now mosques and Muslim groups across Britain - including the Association of Muslim Scholars in Great Britain, the London Central Mosque Trust and the Islamic Academy of Manchester - have welcomed the move, while warning it does not go far enough.

The letter, sent on Thursday, says: "We are profoundly concerned by the UK Government’s failure to act determinedly.

"The absence of meaningful diplomatic or humanitarian intervention and continued material support to Israel, undermines the UK's stated commitment to international law, justice and the protection of human rights." 

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The letter urges Starmer to "call for the immediate reinstatement of a ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and an end to the military occupation of Palestinian territories".

It also calls on the government to recognise the state of Palestine "in accordance with international consensus and United Nations resolutions".

The letter further urges the government to "sanction and immediately halt the sale and export of arms, military equipment and support of any party engaged in violations of international humanitarian law".

The letter concludes: "As civic and faith-based institutions rooted in conscience and compassion, we believe it is our shared duty to work towards ending decades of injustice and displacement in Palestine."

The letter adds to mounting calls from parliamentarians and civil society organisations for the government to recognise Palestinian statehood.

It comes amid speculation that Britain and France could recognise a Palestinian state at a UN conference on the two-state solution next month.

In late April, Lammy acknowledged for the first time that the UK is in discussions with France and Saudi Arabia on the topic. 

Speaking in parliament on Tuesday afternoon, Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned "this Israeli government's egregious actions and rhetoric", adding that the government is "isolating Israel from its friends and partners around the world".

He criticised Israel for expanding its military operations in Gaza and restricting the entry of humanitarian aid.

Lammy said: "I find this deeply painful as a lifelong friend of Israel and a believer in the values expressed in its declaration of independence."

He argued that Israel's approach is "incompatible with the principles that underpin our bilateral relationship, rejected by members across this house, and frankly it's an affront to the values of the British people".

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