Sir Keir Starmer’s patience with Benjamin Netanyahu has snapped. The reservoir of goodwill that the Israeli leader has relied upon since the 7 October massacre and hostage-taking had already evaporated. It’s now quickly running dry.
Prime minister Netanyahu says he is trying to destroy Hamas, free the remaining Israeli hostages, and place Gaza under his country’s military control. So far, he claims he is letting “just enough” food into Gaza, insisting the war could end if Hamas returned hostages, laid down its arms, agreed for its leaders to go into exile and Gaza was demilitarised. “No nation can be expected to accept anything less and Israel certainly won’t,” he said.
The entire population of Gaza faces a critical risk of famine, with half a million of residents facing starvation, a global hunger monitor said last week. On Monday France, the UK, and Canada issued an unprecedentedly strong condemnation of Israel.
While supporting Israel’s right to defend its citizens, they said they “strongly oppose the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza”, adding, “the level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable”. Only five trucks made it into Gaza on Monday, as Israeli troops advanced and air and artillery strikes killed more Palestinian civilians including many young children.
In government, it’s a step too far. On Tuesday, after discussing the issue at his regular Cabinet meeting, Starmer told the House of Commons that the UK is “horrified” by the war “that has been going on far too long”.
Up after the premier, Foreign Secretary David Lammy told MPs the UK is suspending free trade talks with Israel over its “egregious” behaviour. Middle East minister Hamish Falconer is set to summon the Israeli ambassador, Tzipi Hotovely, to explain herself – a piece of diplomatic theatre than nonetheless allows real private anger to be conveyed.
Meanwhile fresh sanctions will target three individuals, including prominent settler leader Daniella Weiss, as well as two illegal outposts and two organisations that have supported, incited and promoted violence against Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank. Weiss is now subject to a UK asset freeze and travel ban.
Louis Theroux’s recent BBC documentary The Settlers included an interview with Weiss about Israel’s gradual and illegal settlement of the occupied West Bank and her plans to do the same in Gaza. In the film, Weiss, seen as the godmother of the settler projects, explained how she plans to forcibly expel Palestinians from Gaza and force other countries to take them in. Targeting Weiss, the 79-year-old leader of the far-right settler organisation Nachala, is both highly symbolic and at the same time the lowest of low-hanging diplomatic fruit.
Bolstered by the far-right members of his own cabinet, Netanyahu’s decision-making is locked into an echo chamber. Security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the decision to give minimal food would “fuel Hamas and give it oxygen while our hostages languish in tunnels”. This is the guy who was convicted in 2007 for incitement to racism and supporting an extremist Jewish group that Israel classifies as a terrorist organisation.
Earlier this month finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said “Gaza will be entirely destroyed” as a result of an Israeli military victory, and that its Palestinian population will “leave in great numbers to third countries”, raising fears of ethnic cleansing in the occupied territory. Where are the sanctions for these politicians?
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The UK’s forbearance was already running low after the massacre of Palestinian medics in March acted as a spur to international condemnation. The Israeli military initially reported that soldiers fired on approaching vehicles because, in the dark, the vehicles lacked emergency lights or markings and appeared suspicious. The military wrongly claimed the vehicles were being used by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
But video from a victim’s phone, released by the Palestine Red Crescent Society, contradicted Israel’s story. A child who witnessed the killings was later deliberately shot, his father claimed.
Facing intense, international pressure to lift the Gaza blockade following warnings of impending famine from a reputable international survey, Netanyahu – who dismisses the International Criminal Court’s warrant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity as antisemitic – has remained defiant.
Across world capitals there is a sense that time is running out for Bibi, as the Israeli leader is known. Sanctions against Israel now look increasingly probable. British officials are also debating whether to take the enormous step to recognise Palestine as an independent state.
France’s Emmanuel Macron has been considering joining the 148 other states that have already done so at a conference it is co-chairing with Saudi Arabia in New York in early June. Lammy told MPs the UK is in “close dialogue” about the plans and will attend the meeting.
The UK has also talked about Palestinian recognition with the French but The i Paper understands the UK Government wants to make sure this option is deployed at the moment where it will make the maximum impact. “You can only do it once,” a senior Whitehall source said. “So, you need to do it when it would make the most impact.” That could be in June, but the French have yet to make up their minds. The current situation may accelerate that thinking. MPs are already pushing for a vote to give Palestinian statehood.
Tory MP Kit Malthouse put it succinctly when he said Israel “couldn’t give a damn” what the UK does. Lammy said this isn’t the view of the Israeli people, but of Netanyahu’s government. Some think Starmer has been slow to act. In the Commons Labour MP Dawn Butler told Lammy, “It feels like it’s taken a long time to get to this”. SNP Leader Stephen Flynn said Lammy’s “fire in his belly” is long overdue. It’s a view which will be shared by protesters around the country.
Resisting strongly against further sanctions and recognition of Palestinian statehood, Israel has repeatedly warned that such actions would amount to a victory for Hamas. But it’s an argument now running out of traction in London and further afield. Patience has worn out and won’t be restored.
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