What cards can UK play as frustration with Israel deepens?

British government 'very seriously considering' recognition of Palestine and sanctions on far-right Israeli cabinet members

Israeli soldiers conduct a raid in the Al Ain camp for Palestinian refugees, west of Nablus. AFP

For weeks politicians from Britain and France have repeatedly urged Israel to halt its renewed deadly campaign in Gaza and reverse its blockade of humanitarian aid.

But their pleas have been ignored, and now amid the counsel of despair in London and Paris there are growing moves to land a massive blow on Israel – to force it to listen.

The anger is such in Whitehall that consideration is being given to sanctioning the far-right Israeli cabinet ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir over their activities in the occupied West Bank, western officials have told The National.

In addition, an even more stringent arms embargo could be enforced as part of a package that could be jointly introduced with France before the end of this month. If that is not enough, the British government is “very seriously considering” recognition of Palestine.

The Israelis "have just totally stopped listening”, the source said. “The only options left to the UK government are to look at sanctions or even recognition [of a Palestinian state]. Nothing else seems to cut through.” The UK’s Labour government has also been heavily criticised by its own MPs for failing to take decisive action over Israel’s attacks on Gaza and denial of humanitarian aid to Palestinians.

The Foreign Affairs Committee's inquiry into Israel-Palestine will seek more clarity from the government on what its options are to pressure Israel and bring about a peaceful settlement. "We may find ourselves in a position where we don’t agree but at least know what the options are," said committee chairwoman Emily Thornberry.

As the threat looms of Israel taking control of the West Bank, Ms Thornberry urged the government to think about what it could do to prevent this. "What will we do about annexation? It won’t be enough to condemn it afterwards," she told The National.

Tensions rose further after two Labour MPs, including the UK's first MP of Yemeni origin Abtisam Mohamed, were denied entry into Israel last week, prompting criticism from Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who described the move as "unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply concerning". On Monday, Ms Mohamed told the Commons: "This act was not just a diplomatic affront. This wasn’t about security. It was about control and censorship.”

On Monday evening more than 70 parliamentarians, including Cabinet ministers, staged a photocall as a show of solidarity with Ms Mohamed and fellow Labour MP Yuan Yang.

Members of the UK Parliament gather to show support for Labour's Yuan Yang, centre left, and Abtisam Mohamed, centre right, at the Houses of Parliament in London. PA

Labour MP Sarah Owen said: “It’s regrettable that the Israeli government are now acting with impunity. They seem to be accountable to no international law, enabled by the US President, they continue to bomb hospitals and schools, killing aid workers and thousands of Palestinian civilians."

In a statement in the Commons, Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer said all MPs should “be worried” by Israel's decision to refuse entry to British MPs.

Mr Falconer said: “On the position of the Israeli government, they do have the right to decide who enters Israel, as indeed do we. On this occasion, the two Members of Parliament were given clearance to enter and so it was known to the Israeli government before they arrived at the airport that they would be travelling."

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in London in March. EPA

French liaison

Mr Lammy and his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot have in recent weeks had “regular” discussions about Israel, including about Palestinian recognition, the western official said. “They are definitely in joint discussions and Israel is very much on the agenda,” the source said, while refusing to go into details.

Mr Lammy and Mr Barrot have a very good relationship based on “a shared understanding on the big issues”, particularly on Iran, Ukraine and Israel, the source added. Of all the relationships between G7 countries' foreign ministers, it is understood Mr Lammy and Mr Barrot's bond and mutual understanding is the strongest.

London cancelled, Paris visited

France and Britain have been discussing a joint timetable for Palestinian state recognition, along with other European countries, and a co-ordinated approach would shield the UK from a unilateral decision, said Dr Sanam Vakil of the Chatham House think tank. Official recognition of Palestine would cause severe ructions between Israel and France and the UK, which are considered allies of the state.

“It will put pressure on Israel not just for a ceasefire, but to start thinking about a longer horizon that is connected to statehood, so this is actually going to bring momentum back to the issue of the war and how it ends,” said the director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme.

Mr Lammy has frequently stated that recognition would only come when a two-state solution has been agreed between Israel and Palestine.

But during appearances in parliament in recent weeks he has appeared increasingly frustrated at Israel’s intransigence on Gaza aid and the looming seizure of the occupied West Bank. This was further undermined when Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar cancelled a visit to London last month, with little explanation.

Perhaps detecting the increased antipathy in western Europe, Mr Saar arrived in Paris on Thursday for a meeting with Mr Barrot. Following their discussions Mr Saar tweeted that Israel and France had “a long-standing friendship, back to our state’s early days” and that they held a “good and productive meeting about Lebanon, Syria, Hamas and our hostages”.

France’s Foreign Ministry set out a different picture, stating that Mr Barrot had raised his “concerns over the resumption of Israeli military operations which have caused many civilian casualties” and that he “condemned” attacks on humanitarian staff. It said he had also called for a “credible plan” for the “day after” peace finally comes to Gaza.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman with US President Donald Trump on his trip to the kingdom in 2017. Reuters

Washington response

While it would probably infuriate Washington, Britain’s prominent diplomatic standing could mean that recognition would prompt more international discussion. “UK recognition of Palestinian statehood would invigorate regional support as regional states feel frustrated that there has not been adequate momentum coming from the international community,” Dr Vakil said. “It would prompt a more international discussion on the day after, what comes next?”

The move would not come without risk as it would accelerate tensions between the Trump administration and the British Government, particularly over the tariff dispute. But the UK government has accepted that “Washington now just shrugs its shoulders over what Israel does”, a Whitehall source said.

However, the Palestinian question will also feature prominently when US President Donald Trump visits Saudi Arabia on the first formal overseas tour of his second term, probably next month.

Israel's Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, left, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. EPA

Minister sanctions

There is understood to be no precedent for sanctions against individual democratically elected cabinet ministers by Britain, yet the idea has been contemplated for some time by the current Labour government.

Mr Ben-Gvir, Minister of National Security, who lives in an illegal West Bank settlement, has made numerous comments about taking control of occupied Palestinian territories. Mr Smotrich, the Finance Minister, has made similar such inflammatory remarks, with both refusing to recognise Palestinian statehood.

“Sanctioning Israeli cabinet members is a significant move but it will hopefully force Israel to think again about what it is doing,” the western official said. Some MPs could begin to pressure the government to review its trade agreement with Israel, and how it is impacted by illegal settlement goods and the lack of labelling, The National understands.

Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer said the UK government continues “to oppose forced displacement in Gaza”. Photo: UK Parliament

Labour see red

It was thought that, with US tariffs, Iran and Ukraine, the UK government would wait until the summer to make any moves against Israel. But last week it came under a barrage of attacks from its own MPs in parliament during questions on Gaza.

“What worries me about the government is that it doesn’t seem to have any red lines that Israel can cross,” said Labour MP Paula Barker. “We need robust action, not words,” she added, while calling for Palestinian state recognition.

Another MP, Brian Leishman, asked if the government would recognise the forced evacuations in Gaza “as ethnic cleansing, and if not, why not?”. Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer replied that the government continued “to oppose forced displacement in Gaza” and added that there was a “serious risk Israel is not simply acting in its own legitimate self-defence”.

During the questions Florence Eshalomi, a Labour MP, said: “What more is it going to take before we as a UK government take a different course of action? Because Israel is not listening to warm words any longer.” Mr Falconer could only respond that the world “is moving very quickly” and that he recognised “the strength of feeling in this house”.

The western official said the grim mood among MPs had contributed to the government’s rethink on its Israel policy “in addition to the point that we are just not being listened to at a very senior level”.