OPINION: Peace abroad starts at home
Unilateral recognition risks inflaming division. London’s fragile communities deserve careful leadership, not symbolic gestures
Since 7 October 2023, London’s communities have felt increasingly fractured. As calls grow for the UK to recognise a Palestinian state, we are seeing the strain this places on already fragile community trust.
This week, Keir Starmer said that “a ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state.” That language matters. It reflects a step-by-step approach grounded in negotiation and stability. Without a ceasefire and political agreement, now is not the time and risks inflaming tensions and undermining peace efforts on the ground and here at home.
A growing number of politicians, including the mayor of London and several MPs, have made public statements in support of immediate recognition. While these may be intended as gestures of solidarity, they risk deepening local tensions and damaging cohesion across London. For large parts of the Jewish community, these statements feel one-sided. They seem to ignore our fears and lived experience.
Since the Hamas attacks, Jewish Londoners have faced a sharp rise in antisemitic abuse. The CST recorded almost 2,000 incidents in 2024. At the same time, many Muslims feel they are being blamed for a conflict they did not choose. Synagogues, mosques, schools, and community centres have increased their security. Jewish students are facing unprecedented levels of antisemitic incidents on campus. Protests across the capital regularly include hostile chants and placards, leaving many Jews feeling exposed and unsafe in their own neighbourhoods. Trust between neighbours has been tested.
In this climate, words from public figures carry real weight. Calls for unilateral recognition may seem symbolic, but they have consequences. They can raise tensions, legitimise extreme narratives, and make peaceful engagement between communities harder.
There may well be no single view within the Jewish community on how to resolve this conflict. While many feel deeply connected to Israel, they may also hold a range of views on policy and leadership. Others are still grieving, both for Israelis murdered, raped, and kidnapped on 7 October and also for the many Palestinian civilians caught in the violence since. We can pray for Israel’s wellbeing and still speak about the suffering of children in Gaza. That is not a contradiction. It reflects the complexity of this moment and the emotional truth for many of us.
For us, these are not abstract debates. They are rooted in trauma, fear, and the sense of being pushed to the edge of public discourse.
That also means recognising the ongoing crisis of the hostages. Around 50 Israelis are still being held in Gaza. Some are believed to be alive. Their families continue to wait. Their release should be a priority for anyone serious about peace.
Unilateral recognition of Palestine also risks sending the wrong message. To the protesters chanting for intifada. To the terrorists who carried out the 7 October massacre. A message that violence leads to political gain. That diplomacy and negotiation no longer matter.
We understand why many want the UK to act, given the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza. When action is taken without care or context, it can cause harm. It can harden views and inflame divisions in a city where both communities live side by side.
None of this means that our leaders should stay silent. But words carry weight, especially in London, where the consequences of global events are felt on local streets. Recognition should come through agreement, not pressure. And leadership should work to lower tensions, not entrench them.
This is not just about what is said; it is about who feels heard. When Jewish Londoners hear calls for recognition with no mention of their safety, their grief, or their trauma, it sounds like they are being written out of the national conversation.
We all want to live in a London where communities trust one another, where difference is respected, and where no one feels forced to choose between fear and silence.
Peace is not just something we hope for abroad. It is something we must protect at home.
- Amanda Bowman and Michael Ziff are co-chairs of the London Jewish Forum
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