UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron: Israel can’t have veto power on Palestinian statehood

The United Kingdom should recognize Palestinian statehood during a peace process toward a two-state solution but not at the start of one, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron told The House of Lords.

“Part of a two-state solution is the recognition of Palestine as a state,” Cameron said in a foreign policy speech on Tuesday.

“I don’t think that should happen at the start of the process because I think that takes all the pressure off the Palestinians to reform. But it shouldn’t have to wait till the end,” he continued, explaining that doing so leaves Israel as the gatekeeper for Palestinian statehood.

He therefore opposed the US position, which until now, has determined that Palestinian statehood recognition should occur only once a final arrangement is reached for a two-state solution.

“We shouldn’t give Israel a veto power, which is the effect of the American policy at the moment. And so I think that recognition can become part of the unstoppable momentum we need to see towards a two-state solution.

Hamas "cannot be part of day-after plans" - Cameron

Cameron also clarified that Hamas cannot be part of any day-after plans for Gaza or indeed part of any configuration for a two-state resolution to the conflict.

“You got to get the Hamas leadership out of Gaza. You’ve got to get rid of the terrorist infrastructure. You’ve got to have a new Palestinian government. You’ve got to have the horizon towards Palestinian statehood.

“These things are necessary to have a chance of a genuine peace process and outcome,” he said. “Israel’s security must be guaranteed for any two-state resolution to occur.”

Any such guarantee “won’t work if Hamas [is] still running Gaza and if there aren’t guarantees about how secure Israel would be living alongside a Palestinian state,” Cameron said.