This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament

Petition For the United Kingdom to recognise the state of Palestine immediately

We believe that the Government needs to recognise the state of Palestine immediately. Otherwise we don't think they can legitimately say they back a two-state solution.

More details

Because we want the people of Palestine to know we see them, recognise their struggle and take responsibility for our part in it.

This petition closed early because of a General Election Find out more on the Petitions Committee website

283,669 signatures

Show on a map

100,000

Parliament will debate this petition

Parliament will debate this petition on 16 December 2024.

You'll be able to watch online on the UK Parliament YouTube channel.

Government responded

This response was given on 27 February 2024

We must give Palestinians a credible political pathway and irreversible momentum towards the establishment of Palestine. We will recognise a Palestinian State when most conducive to the peace process.

Read the response in full

The UK unequivocally supports a two-state solution, one that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.

We have also been clear that must give the people of the West Bank and Gaza the political perspective of a credible route to a Palestinian state and a new future, and that this needs to be irreversible. This is not entirely in our gift, but Britain and our partners can help by confirming our commitment to a sovereign, viable Palestinian state, and our vision for its composition. Crucially, we must state our clear intention to grant it recognition, including at the United Nations. As the Foreign Secretary has said, that can’t come at the start of the process, but neither does it have to be at the very end. Our long-standing position has been that we will recognise a Palestinian State at a time that is most conducive to the peace process.

The Palestinian Authority has an important long-term role to play in achieving this goal, and so we must work with our allies to provide serious, practical and enduring support needed to bolster the Palestinian Authority. We already provide technical and practical support and are ready to do more. But the Palestinian Authority also must take much needed steps on reform, including setting out a pathway to democratic progress.

As a priority, we want to see an end to the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible. This is why we are calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life. The formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package, and a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution, are two vital steps to achieve this. In parallel we need to see the release of all hostages; Hamas’s capacity to launch attacks against Israel removed; and Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza.

The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have reiterated these messages with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli political leaders, including during the Foreign Secretary’s visit to Israel on 24th January. They have also raised these points with leaders in Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon in recent weeks.

We recognise that we need to generate momentum now towards a permanent peace, and that the international community will need to make a massive effort to deliver a reconstruction plan for Gaza. That is why we are pressing for a Contact Group, bringing together the key players, to be set up at once. The UK remains firmly committed to working with our key partners to secure an immediate pause in fighting, make progress towards a sustainable ceasefire, and build momentum towards a long-term political solution.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

About the petition you signed asking for the UK to recognise the state of Palestine

There will be a General Election on 4 July. This means that Parliament closes for a few weeks before the vote, for the election campaign. The Petitions Committee (the group of MPs who decide which petitions are debated) will cease to exist when Parliament closes.

After the election, the new House of Commons will appoint new committees. It will be up to the new Petitions Committee to decide whether to schedule a debate on this petition. Previous Petitions Committees have generally agreed to schedule debates on petitions that received 100,000 signatures but were unable to be debated before a general election.

We don't know yet exactly when a new Petitions Committee will be appointed, but will update our website with news about the new Petitions Committee and reopening of the site. You can also follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @HoCPetitions for updates.

We will let you know if a new Petitions Committee decides to schedule a debate on this petition.

Debate about Israel and Palestine

MPs will debate the petition you signed: “For the United Kingdom to recognise the state of Palestine immediately” on Monday 16 December at 4.30pm.

It is being debated with another petition, "Immediately revoke all licences for arms exports to Israel"

Watch the debate

Read the transcript

Read about how petition debates work

We usually send the links above after petitions debates have taken place.

Due to the terms of our privacy notice, we are due to lose your contact details on 30 November, so we have emailed you in advance.

You can watch the debate live on Monday 16 December, or later using the same link.