The petition of residents of the constituency of Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North
Declares that the residents believe that the UK should recognise Palestinian statehood.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to recognise Palestinian statehood.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Liam Byrne, Official Report, 03 September 2025; Vol. 772, c. 410.]
[P003108]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Mr Hamish Falconer):
On 22 September 2025, the Foreign Secretary made the following statement at the meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York:
“I stand before you today, beneath the emblem of the United Nations, to confirm the historic decision of the British Government to recognise the State of Palestine. This step, alongside friends and partners, reflects a long-standing truth. That statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and that two states is the only path to security and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
But it also reflects a grave reality. The two-state solution that for decades has commanded global support is in profound peril. From continued bloodshed, man-made famine, terrorism and hostage taking, settlement expansion and settler violence. Hamas terrorists continue to hold hostages seized in the barbaric attack of 7 October, prolonging the unimaginable anguish of their families. In Gaza, the unbearable humanitarian catastrophe worsens as the Netanyahu Government choose to escalate war and hold back aid; children dying of starvation while food rots at the border. And settlement expansion threatens the very viability of a Palestinian state.
The two-state solution risks disappearing beneath the rubble. That is what extremists on all sides want. But we refuse to let hope be lost. Recognition is borne of urgency and principle, alongside our unwavering support for the security of Israel and its people. This pathway is the opposite of Hamas’s hateful vision. And this process around recognition has helped cement the rejection of Hamas across the Arab world, alongside new reforms to the Palestinian Authority, because there can be no role for Hamas in the future governance of Palestine.
But recognition must be a spur, not a substitute for urgent action: a ceasefire now, the release of all hostages, the restoration of aid and a lasting framework for peace. Recognition is about the future, but it is rooted in our past. 75 years ago, Britain was rightly proud to recognise the State of Israel. But the promise of upholding Palestinian rights has gone unfulfilled. For decades, my country supported a two-state solution but only recognised one state. That changes now.”