There is increasing speculation that the UK will recognise a Palestinian state imminently, possibly in coordination with France. On this morning’s Today programme, for example, Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, was the latest senior MP to push the idea.

Open Jew hate is now the norm in Britain

It sounds sensible, even obvious, doesn’t it? If a ‘political’ solution is the only way out of the current terrible situation in the region, surely a pre-requisite is to create a so-called partner for peace with Israel. But like so many superficially sensible and obvious ideas, that’s what it is: superficial. Worse, it’s dangerous – and specifically dangerous for the UK.

Most seriously, it would demonstrate with unambiguous clarity that terrorism works. It’s easy for the likes of Thornberry to brush away with scorn (as she did this morning) the link between the October 7 massacre and recognition, but the push for the latter has arisen solely because of Israel’s response to the massacre – a response which, by definition, would not have arisen if there had been no October 7. Hamas murdered 1,200........

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