Former diplomats press UK and France to enforce Palestine recognition with trade and arms curbs
A joint letter from 102 senior former officials argues that London and Paris must move beyond diplomatic statements to impose specific economic and military penalties on Israel to preserve the two-state solution.
More than 100 former British and French diplomats have published a joint letter urging their respective governments to implement urgent policy measures against Israel. The signatories, comprising 52 French former diplomats and 50 British former ambassadors, accuse Israel of “erasing” Palestine and explicitly cite “ethnic cleansing” in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The letter, addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, argues that both nations have a distinct responsibility to act now that they have recognised Palestine as a state.
The correspondence, provided to The Guardian and Le Monde, outlines seven specific policy steps intended to pressure Israel into accepting a Palestinian state. These measures include suspending the EU-Israel association agreement and the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement, as well as halting arms transfers and bilateral military cooperation. The diplomats also call for a ban on all trade with settlements and for unrestricted aid access to Gaza, led by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and other international bodies.
This intervention follows a recent diplomatic escalation in which the UK, France, and nine other countries condemned the publication of construction tenders for the E1 settlement project. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described the proposed 1,200 homes as a destructive threat to the viability of a two-state solution. In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated that the Jewish people have a right to live throughout Israel, mirroring the rights of British citizens within the UK.
The letter suggests that the current diplomatic landscape is insufficient, noting that negotiations regarding Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza have been largely subcontracted to talks between Israel and US envoy Jared Kushner. Israel has rejected the latest 15-point US-led peace plan, drawing criticism from eight Muslim countries, including the United Arab Emirates. The signatories argue that the world no longer views Israel as a genuine democracy, citing the “systematic policy of destruction” in Gaza and the confinement of two million Palestinians to 30 per cent of the territory.
The former officials contend that the recognition of Palestine in 2025 must be made real through urgent action to safeguard the right to self-determination. They highlight that over 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since the so-called “ceasefire” and that rampant settler violence, with the connivance of the Israeli army and police, amounts to ethnic cleansing. The letter warns that without decisive action, the prospect of an independent Palestinian state will be destroyed.
While the letter focuses on Israeli actions, it also acknowledges the need for internal Palestinian reform. The signatories state that Palestine’s political leadership is “unrepresentative and dysfunctional” and that upcoming elections must lead to democratic renewal. However, they maintain that the primary focus must remain on Israel’s determination to prevent the emergence of a fully functioning democratic Palestinian nation.
