MPs have urged David Lammy to set out a timetable for the Government to officially recognise Palestine, as the Commons emphasised the need for a two-state solution.
The Foreign Secretary faced repeated questions over what criteria officials and ministers would use for the decision, and to give a indication of when it may happen.
Two Labour MPs, Paula Barker and Tahir Ali, said they were concerned Labour would not meet its manifesto pledge to recognise Palestine within the parliament.
Ms Barker (Liverpool Watertree) told Mr Lammy that recognition of a Palestinian state would be the route to a two-state solution and long-term peace.
She asked: “Will he be brave? Will he be bold? And will he ensure that we are not here in 25 years’ time debating a two-state solution because he is going to recognise the state of Palestine – much, much quicker than that.”
Mr Ali (Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley) said he was concerned Labour would not meet its manifesto commitment to recognise a Palestinian state within the current parliament.
“A two-state solution is what was mentioned as well,” Mr Ali said. “I – along with my constituents – believe that these are only warm words. I do not believe this Government will recognise Palestine as a state in this Parliament. Can the Secretary of State prove me wrong?”
Mr Lammy told Mr Ali to be “hopeful” of recognition being achieved.
Replying to Ms Barker, he later said: “There’s a real dilemma in terms of Palestinian recognition. There are some who want Palestinian recognition essentially because they believe that two states is years away, and it will never be achieved, and they want the UK to say ‘we’ll do it now, we’ll put the marker in the sand’, despite the fact that it’s years away and it can never be achieved.
“And there are others who recognise the important role of the UK in relation to its responsibilities as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and therefore understand that we will do that, but we will do it when we know it’s going to happen and it’s in sight. This is one of those critical moments, one of those critical moments, and believe me, I will play my part.”
Green Party MP Ellie Chowns (North Herefordshire) called for Mr Lammy to set out a schedule for the recognition, while former Labour shadow chancellor, now Independent MP, John McDonnell asked what the decision would be based on.
Mr Lammy said he could not give details, as recognition would also involve Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the US and other countries in the Middle East.
In response to questions from Father of the House Sir Edward Leigh, and former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is now an Independent MP for Islington North, Mr Lammy said the Government does not believe in illegal occupations and illegal settlements in the West Bank.
He told Mr Corbyn: “We cannot tolerate the expansion, we recommit ourselves to continuing to work with civil society on the ground, in the West Bank, in the occupied territory who are documenting these things.”
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said those “who armed extremists in the Israeli government will be judged by history” and the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people will not be forgotten”.
He told the Commons: “As we hope for this ceasefire deal and for the release of hostages, we continue to mourn all of those who have been killed since the vicious terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7 2023 and, in that respect, my mind is very much with the six little babies who did not see this proposal because they froze to death in Gaza just a few short weeks ago.
“And that collective punishment of the Palestinian people will not be forgotten by history, just as all of those who sat silent, who encouraged and who armed extremists in the Israeli government will be judged by history too.”
Responding to Mr Flynn, Mr Lammy said: “This party has always stressed the seriousness, of course, of the security and Israel’s security in this most toughest of neighbourhood, with Iran and its proxies up to so much malign intent.
“But we have always, always insisted that it must be within international humanitarian law, and we have raised our concerns at every turn when we felt that that was being breached.”