Abna News Agency: The declaration of a Palestinian state is a cynical attempt by Keir Starmer to appease critics within his support base – to deflect attention from the complicity of the British State in the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine.
UK Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, has tried to explain the reason as being the approval by the Israeli regime for 3,400 new settler homes in the E1 plan (East 1) in the settlement bloc called Ma’ale Adumim, so physically linking it to al-Quds and further fragmenting the areas inhabited by Palestinians.
Occupation Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the idea of a Palestinian state was “being erased” by actions.
But this is not credible. The project is but one small action out of many over decades that Britain and others have ignored.
Hardline Zionists, like the Chief Rabbi of the UK, have criticised this action by the UK government as “a reward for terrorism.”
Aside from the fact that this logic would make the persistence of the Abraham Accords the mother of all rewards for genocide and ethnic cleansing, the Zionist entity itself was literally a reward for “terrorism” by Zionist militia against British troops in Mandate Palestine in 1946.
UK complicity in genocide
But returning to more recent events, it is impossible to believe that any British government would do something genuinely in the interests of Palestinians when the UK was the original architect for everything that has followed.
This explains the comments by the Palestinian Authority representative to the UK Hussam Zumlot, who said today’s declaration was more about Britain moving a step forward to build on its promise 1917 that was the original declaration to divide Palestine – gifting it in large part to the Zionist colonisers.
Sadly, the UK has been deeply complicit in the genocide since October 2023:
Militarily – The UK has continued to supply arms to “Israel” , licensing £576 million in arms exports between October 2023 and August 2024, including components for F-35 jets used in Gaza strikes. Furthermore, reports indicate UK special forces trained Israeli units involved in Gaza operations.
Intelligence Cooperation – RAF planes have conducted surveillance flights over Gaza and the Middle East, sharing intelligence with Israel via the “Five Eyes” alliance.
Politically – The UK has shielded “Israel” by either voting against or abstaining from UN General Assembly resolutions calling for ceasefire (e.g., December 2023) and opposed South Africa’s ICJ genocide case against Israel. It continues to engage in genocide-denial.
Personally – Famously, Starmer said that “Israel” had the right to withhold power and water from Palestinian civilians. His caveat that it should be done within International Law is meaningless when he was calling for a blatant violation of that law!
So don’t be fooled by this charade. If the skill of a conjuror is to distract the observer when performing his trick, then Keir Starmer is about a good a conjuror as he is a political leader – that is, he’s not very good, because he’s unlikely to placate his core base that is sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinians, whilst simultaneously annoying his Zionist supporters.
By Dr. Abdul Wahid, active in UK Muslim affairs for over 25 years
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