The United Reformed Church joins with the Methodist Church in Great Britain in welcoming the significant shift in British foreign policy after the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, announced on 21 September the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state.
In a statement released today, the Churches said the move steps “away from using recognition as leverage in negotiations, and instead affirming the Palestinians’ inherent right to self-determination and equal participation in peace talks” and that the decision, in line with Canada, Australia and Portugal, “increases international pressure on Israel over its occupation policies and the ongoing crisis in Gaza, which many experts now describe as genocide”.
The Prime Minister’s announcement was immediately met with condemnation by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the recognition “a reward for terrorism”. The Churches’ statement reiterates that “the Prime Minister made it clear that Hamas must have no role in any future government. Importantly, millions of Palestinians have resisted occupation through non-violent means for generations – this recognition is a long-overdue acknowledgment of their peaceful struggle”.
In Resolution 28, at its 2021 General Assembly, the URC affirmed the United Nations commitment to a State of Palestine which was recognised within the international community of States, with all the rights and responsibilities attendant on that status.
Emergency resolutions about the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza were also passed at the URC’s July 2025 General Assembly.
To read the statement in full, see UK Recognition of Palestinian Statehood.
The Joint Public Issues Team, which works on behalf of the URC, the Methodist Church in Great Britain, and the Baptist Union of Great Britain, has also written a blog on the matter. To read the blog, see Recognising Palestine, or click the link below.