A day after a senior British diplomat warned that Israel would face consequences if it retaliated against London’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed her government had delivered a direct message to Jerusalem.
In an interview with the BBC on Monday, Cooper said she warned Israel against annexing parts of the West Bank in response to Britain’s move. “Just as we recognize the State of Israel, so too must we recognize the Palestinians’ right to a state of their own,” she said.
Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal were the first to announce recognition of a Palestinian state, with additional countries expected to follow during this week’s UN General Assembly in New York. France, Belgium, Malta, San Marino, Andorra and Luxembourg are set to announce recognition in the coming days, with New Zealand and Finland still undecided.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing pressure from his right-wing allies to declare sovereignty over parts of the West Bank. However, such a move could jeopardize the Abraham Accords and destabilize relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, who remains a close ally.
Netanyahu, in a recorded statement, said Israel would announce its response only after he returns from his trip to the United States, where he will address the UN General Assembly and meet with Trump. “There will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan River. It will not happen,” Netanyahu said. He accused world leaders of “rewarding terror” by recognizing Palestinian statehood less than two years after Hamas’s October 7 massacre.
Keir Starmer announces the UK recognizes the Palestinian State
Cooper, also in New York, was asked if she worried that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision could give Israel a pretext for annexation. She said she made clear to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar that Israel’s government does not need to take such a step.
“We have been clear that this decision is the best way to honor the security of Israel as well as that of the Palestinians,” Cooper said. “This is about protecting peace and justice, and above all, security in the Middle East. We will continue to work with partners across the region to achieve this.”
She added that extremists on both sides want to abandon any hope of a two-state solution, which Britain has a moral duty to revive. “The easy thing to do would be to walk away and say it’s all too hard. But just as we recognize Israel’s right to exist, we must recognize the Palestinians’ right to their own state,” she said.
Cooper did not specify when the British consulate in East Jerusalem might be upgraded to an embassy, saying the timing depends on the progress of diplomatic talks with the Palestinian Authority.