Ex-Hostage Damari Criticizes UK PM Starmer’s Palestine Recognition Plan

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the UK may recognize Palestinian statehood in September unless Israel takes specific steps, including allowing more aid into Gaza, stopping West Bank annexation, agreeing to a ceasefire, and committing to a peace process. This announcement has drawn sharp criticism from Emily Damari, a British-Israeli woman who survived 471 days as a Hamas hostage, who condemned Starmer's plan as a moral failure that risks rewarding terror and prolonging the conflict by legitimizing a state under Hamas control. Damari argued that recognizing Palestine under current conditions emboldens extremists and undermines prospects for peace, comparing the move to endorsing Nazi control during World War II. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also criticized the UK’s stance, saying it rewards Hamas terrorism. Starmer responded by emphasizing the need to alleviate Gaza's humanitarian crisis and the importance of securing the release of remaining hostages, but critics, including families of hostages, argue that recognition should not proceed without the hostages' release. The UK government plans to reassess the situation by early September before making a final decision.