Bowen: Plan to recognise Palestinian state a big change for British foreign policy

International editor's take on UK's announcement

The BBC's International editor, Jeremy Bowen, has described the UK's plan to recognise a Palestinian state as a "big change for British foreign policy". This announcement was made by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at the UN meeting in September. He threatened that unless Israel took "substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza", the UK would proceed with the recognition. Bowen, speaking from Jerusalem, warned that it is "vanishingly unlikely" that Israel will meet these conditions, which include a ceasefire and a commitment to a long-term peace process.

What's next?

This move signifies a significant shift in British foreign policy and has implications for the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian authorities. With the situation in Gaza exacerbating, the UK's decision could potentially influence other countries to take similar action. This could lead to increased pressure on Israel to compromise in the pursuit of a lasting peace agreement with the Palestinians.