OPINION: Recognition of a Palestinian state won’t end the war – but it might end the silence

As the UK government signals its readiness to recognise a Palestinian state, British Jews are being called to uphold our Jewish values amid a war that has left tens of thousands dead, starving, and displaced.

Recognition of Palestinian statehood may divide opinion, but it highlights a truth we cannot ignore: we need a path away from continued devastation and towards diplomacy.

Across the UK and Israel, calls are growing for an end to the war in Gaza and urgent action to address a worsening humanitarian crisis, including widespread hunger affecting children.

A letter co-authored by Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Rabbi Arthur Green, and Rabbi Ariel Pollak, and signed by over 1,100 rabbis and rabbinical students across Israel, Europe, and North America, acknowledges Israel’s genuine security threats and ongoing trauma. But the signatories are clear: “We cannot condone the mass killing of civilians… or the use of starvation as a weapon of war.”

Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy write movingly about the rise in antisemitism—“isolating, “exhausting, and frightening”—while continuing to “cry out for the safe return of the hostages.” At the same time, they affirm that “what is happening now [in Gaza] is not in our name and not in line with the Judaism we teach, live, and pass on.”

The Jewish News editorial “Jewish moral clarity means saying: Enough” acknowledged the pain of Israeli victims and warned against ignoring Palestinian suffering. Many parties bear responsibility for the crisis in Gaza, and that means accepting “Israel carries its share of the responsibility for the suffering.”

Community Security Trust’s Dave Rich wrote frankly: “Some people, including children, are starving. That should be a red line for anyone, whatever else you think about this painfully unrelenting conflict.”

In Israel, vigils and protests have grown. Demonstrators hold photographs of Palestinian children killed in the war. Last Thursday, tens of thousands marched for an end to the war, the return of hostages, and recognition of Palestinian suffering. Many carry Israeli flags in one hand and images of starving children in the other. At one protest, participants held sacks of flour and chanted: “Not in our name.”

Two respected Israeli human rights groups—B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI)—have released reports raising grave concerns. Even if we reach different conclusions, we must listen.

Like many Jews, I find it difficult to believe that a war launched in response to the horrors of 7 October amounts to a deliberate attempt to destroy a people. Notwithstanding disgusting and disturbing rhetoric from some Israeli ministers, it is hard to be certain about intent. What is clear, as PHRI documents, is the impact: “Israel has displaced nine in ten Gazans, destroyed or damaged 92 percent of homes, and left over half a million children without schools or stability.”

Expressions of concern must come with action. The New Israel Fund has raised over £1.6 million globally for humanitarian work in Gaza, supporting organisations like World Central Kitchen and Clean Shelter—the latter co-founded by an Israeli and a Palestinian in 2024 and now providing clean water, sanitation, and shelter to over 100,000 displaced people.

World Jewish Relief has also expanded its assistance in Gaza, including treatment for over 35,000 children suffering from malnutrition. This vital work is endorsed by major Jewish denominations, the Union of Jewish Students, the Jewish Leadership Council, and the Board of Deputies.

Although views across the community differ over the extent of Israel’s culpability, most agree: Jews and Israelis must act to save innocent lives.

Alongside emergency aid, we must support Israelis and Palestinians who reject violence and are working relentlessly towards a future grounded in dignity, justice, and safety for all.

Since 7 October, the New Israel Fund has provided for and protected both Israelis and Palestinians. We are the only UK-based charity to have supported Israeli communities attacked by Hamas, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, vulnerable Palestinians in the West Bank, and humanitarian efforts in Gaza.

It is possible—indeed essential—to hold commitment to Israelis alongside compassion for Palestinians.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has made clear that support for Palestinian statehood is conditional on the release of all the hostages still held by Hamas and the guaranteed end of the terror group’s rule in Gaza.

The UK government’s move to recognise Palestinian statehood reflects a growing global call for diplomacy and a political resolution. It reminds us that the future must be built not on military dominance, but on mutual recognition and shared humanity.

• David Davidi-Brown is the Chief Executive of New Israel Fund UK