Recognition won’t in itself shift the dial, but could this move help ramp up pressure on the government to do more?

Perhaps. The UK’s obligations to prevent genocide and to end all support for the occupation were already clear before this announcement, but recognition puts the UK’s hypocrisy into even clearer focus.  

Recognising Palestinian statehood without doing anything more to stop the destruction of its people and the theft of their land would be as absurd as it is cruel.

It would also shows huge double standards: after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one of the reasons the UK gave for enforcing sweeping import, export and investment bans was to encourage Russia to cease actions which undermine its territorial integrity.(3)

It is clear Israel won’t stop the genocide or end the occupation unless it is forced to. The UK must apply meaningful sanctions on Israel now.

Will you write to the new trade secretary to demand sanctions to force Israel to comply with international law?