Lammy: Palestinians must live and prosper in their homelands
UK government continues to support two-state solution
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said Palestinians “must live and prosper in their homelands” after U.S. President Donald Trump proposed taking over Gaza to develop it.
“We’ve always been clear in our belief that we must see two states,” said Lammy.
“We must see Palestinians live and prosper in their homelands in Gaza and the West Bank,” he told a news conference during a trip to Kyiv.
The UK Government’s view is that “Palestinians must be able to return to their homes and rebuild their shattered lives”, the Environment Secretary Steve Reed added.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Wednesday, Reed said it would be “inappropriate” to provide a “running commentary” on what the president has said.
“I think it’s right that I should share with you the UK Government’s view of what should happen,” he said.
“It would be inappropriate for me to provide a running commentary on what Donald Trump says, or indeed any other world leader.”
He added: “While we’re talking about Donald Trump, I think he deserves credit for his role in securing this ceasefire in the first place. That was clearly the important staging post towards getting the longer-term peace that we want to see.
“But … the UK Government’s view is, and will remain, that Palestinians must be able to return to their homes and rebuild their shattered lives.”
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said that “no one country will be able to do this on their own” when asked about Mr Trump’s comments.
She told Times Radio that “we will have to wait and see, because no one country will be able to do this on their own. Our partners, our allies, in the Gulf states and the Middle East, we’ve already heard from the Saudi government as well, they will all have a role to play.
“And, you know, there’s something else that we’ve all been discussing for many years, in fact, which is also the Abraham Accords and normalising relations between … with the Middle East and the United States.”
She later added: “I genuinely believe that we have to focus on seeing the hostages being released, because that is absolutely pivotal. It is critical to bringing about a sustainable end to the conflict.”
Asked about her position on what the president had said overnight, Dame Priti said that she would not give “a running commentary on those overnight comments”. She also claimed that she is “not” scared to say what she thinks about the US leader.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have described the suggestions from Mr Trump as “bizarre and also dangerous”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.