A British-Israeli woman who was held hostage by Hamas for more than a year has said Sir Keir Starmer is “not standing on the right side of history” following his move to recognise a Palestinian state.
Emily Damari, who was held by Hamas for 15 months, accused him of a “moral failure”, warning that his promise to recognise Palestine if Israel fails to take steps to end the war in Gaza “risks rewarding terror”.
On Tuesday, the prime minister recalled the Cabinet from their summer holidays to discuss steps to end what he called the “appalling situation in Gaza”, where a UN assessment has warned the population is facing a mounting humanitarian crisis.
Sir Keir said the UK would only refrain from recognising Palestine if Israel allows more aid into Gaza, stops annexing land in the West Bank, agrees to a ceasefire and signs up to a long-term peace process over the next two months.
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, must immediately release all remaining Israeli hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and “accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza”, Sir Keir added.
But hitting back on social media, Ms Damari said: “Had he been in power during World War II, would he have advocated recognition for Nazi control of occupied countries like Holland, France or Poland?
“This is not diplomacy, it is a moral failure. Shame on you, prime minister,” she said.
Ms Damari said the PM’s decision “does not advance peace, it risks rewarding terror”, adding that it “sends a dangerous message: that violence earns legitimacy”.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu also issued a furious response, saying the decision “rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism and punishes its victims”.
He added: “A jihadist state on Israel’s border today will threaten Britain tomorrow. Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen.”
US president Donald Trump also accused the UK of “rewarding Hamas” with the ultimatum, despite previously saying he did not mind the PM “taking a position” on the issue.
It comes amid confusion over whether or not the release of hostages is a condition for the recognition of Palestine, with transport secretary Heidi Alexander on Wednesday morning tying herself in knots on the issue.
She said ministers have “always said right from day one that the hostages need to be released”, adding that the UK expects “Hamas to act in the same way as we expect Israel to act”.
“Hamas need to release the hostages, they need to disarm, and they also need to accept that they will have no future role in the governance of Gaza,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
