Starmer should not shrink from telling President Trump the UK has a different Policy on Palestine since it was the British legacy that caused the problem in the first place.
Hamid Alkifaey
Judging by his last visit to the UK, in July 2018, and his second visit in June 2019, when the British public, by and large, was not so welcoming, it’s not expected that they will be very happy, this time round, to see Donald Trump in the UK again, on another unprecedented state visit, especially after his recent failures; the on-going tragedy in Gaza, which he failed to stop, the war in Ukraine, which he predicted he would stop in 24 hours if he became president, the fiasco of the tariffs, which continues to cause enormous damage to the US economy, as well as world-wide disruption, not to mention the Epstein files, which will have significant ramifications on his popularity at home.
However, it maybe, just maybe, an opportunity for the British government to improve its image among the British public, as well as worldwide, by pressing the US President to find an urgent solution to the calamity that has befallen on the Gaza civilians. Trump can easily put an end to it, if he exercises some pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu. The whole world is outraged and disgusted by what’s happening in Gaza and the failure of powerful countries to put an end to it, and everyone knows the US can stop the tragedy, but it chose not to.
The Starmer government can go further by telling the US president that the UK will recognise a Palestinian state, alongside France, at the UN annual meeting in September. Ten prominent members of the G20; China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Russia, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, in addition to the permanent invitee, Spain, as well as dozens states across the world, have already recognized a Palestinian state, since it’s the only way to redress the injustice suffered by the Palestinian people for 8 decades, stabilize the Middle East and put an end to this mindless violence, once and for all.
The Gaza slaughter will be on the conscience of every conscientious human being for a long time to come, and it will certainly force a reset of the existing international order and the prevailing thinking on human rights, international law, democracy, freedom and international relations.
Will Kier Starmer, do it? He can and he should, if he really wants to achieve a success of this ill-conceived and badly-timed second state visit of this highly controversial American president. Failing that, Stramer will be viewed as weak, dithering, visionless and astray. His rivals, on both left and right, will gradually gain the upper hand. I, for one, do not wish to see the Labour Party back in the opposition so soon after its landslide election win, especially after the chaos caused by the Tories in their 14-year tenure, but it looks that Labour cannot complete its statutory five-year term if it continues at its current performance. Starmer need to show leadership and take action now. Successful leaders are those who can recognise an opportune moment, not those who keep dithering when faced with difficult choices.
https://x.com/alkifaey/status/1949123103675523269
