Petition aims to ‘mobilise public sentiment’ against ‘ill-timed’ Palestinian recognition
Stop the Hate grassroots organisation says the petition is 'a critical means of demonstrating the depth of public concern and opposition to this decision'
The organisers of a petition calling for the British government not to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state have described it as seeking to “mobilise public sentiment… to underscore that such a move would be widely seen as contrary to principles of justice and counterproductive to regional stability.”
The petition, which was launched by the Stop the Hate grassroots organisation on Friday, has already reached 16,000 signatures, passing the 10,000 threshold required for a response from the government. It urges the UK “not to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state before a negotiated peace” and calls for the UK to instead “support direct talks”. These would be conditioned both on “Hamas releasing hostages, disarming, & leaving Gaza”, and the Palestinian Authority “ending ‘Pay to Slay’ [stipends for the families of Palestinians convicted of terrorism], removing extremist content from schools, & recognising Israel.”
A Stop the Hate spokesperson said the organisation “strongly warns against the UK government recognising a Palestinian state at this juncture, prior to the release of all Israeli hostages and before Hamas has laid down its arms. Such recognition would be perceived as a reward for terrorism, undermining efforts to secure the safe return of captives and emboldening terrorist organisations. It would send a dangerous signal that violence and hostage-taking yield political concessions, rather than encouraging pathways to peace and security.
If such a petition reaches 100,000 signatures on the government website, it will be considered for a debate in Parliament. However, Parliament will be in recess from Tuesday afternoon for the Party conference season, and will only resume next month. The UK is set to recognise a Palestinian state later this month, alongside a number of other countries at a UN meeting in New York.
The organisation’s statement addresses this point, saying: “Given Parliament’s forthcoming recess and the government’s stated intention to recognise a Palestinian state in late September, Stop the Hate UK views the current petition as a critical means of demonstrating the depth of public concern and opposition to this decision.
“We believe the petition serves to highlight the strength of feeling across the country against a rushed and ill-timed recognition that bypasses essential preconditions for peace. By mobilising public sentiment, we aim to underscore that such a move would be widely seen as contrary to principles of justice and counterproductive to regional stability.”
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.
