Overview

• Within a day of the recognition announcement, Labour’s official X account posted a Rosh Hashanah greeting, prompting accusations of hypocrisy and a sharp rebuke from the Campaign Against Antisemitism.
• Former Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz accused Sir Keir Starmer of a “detachment from reality,” and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the move and said he would respond after returning from the UN.
• Starmer framed recognition as a step to revive a two‑state path to peace and said Hamas would play no role in any Palestinian government, reiterating the position in an op‑ed published on the holiday.
• Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper urged Israel not to respond by expanding West Bank settlements, as France was reported to have joined the UK, Canada and Australia in recognising a Palestinian state.
• The Campaign Against Antisemitism said the policy rewards violence and cited polling showing record levels of antisemitic sentiment in Britain, while relatives of hostages argued the move undermines their cause.