Labour MPs are demanding Sir Keir Starmer does not meet with the president of Israel when he visits London next week amid outcry over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Isaac Herzog is expected in the UK on Wednesday and Thursday for talks with ministers, with the government on the verge of recognising an independent Palestinian state.
Mr Herzog’s impending visit has sparked fury among some Labour MPs as Israel intensifies its military offensive in Gaza.
It is the first trip by a senior Israeli leader since the Prime Minister announced that the UK would recognise Palestine during the next UN General Assembly meeting, beginning on September 9, unless Israel meets conditions including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza and reviving the prospect of a two-state solution.
It is also the first visit by a high ranking Israeli politician since foreign secretary David Lammy met with counterpart Gideon Sa’ar in April.
A foreign official of Herzog’s seniority would expect to hold meetings with top ministers and talks are anticipated, according to the Guardian.
But the Israeli president’s presence is controversial given the ongoing campaign in Gaza.
Downing Street has not confirmed any meeting between Herzog and Starmer but the Labour leader is already being urged against one by his own MPs, who fear it would send mixed messages over the country’s stance on the war.
Labour MPs are demanding Sir Keir Starmer does not meet with Isaac Herzog when he visits London next week amid outcry over the humanitarian situation in Gaza
Sir Keir Starmer is being urged against meeting the Israeli president, with Labour MPs saying it will send mixed messages over the UK’s stance on the war
The Israeli president met with Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, with the Vatican leader stressing the need for a two-state solution and permanent peace
Sarah Champion, Labour chairwoman of the International Development Select Committee, wrote on X: ‘Israel’s president to visit London next Thursday for expected talks with ministers. I really hope this is inaccurate.
‘The UK’s recognised the ‘real risk’ of genocide perpetuated by Israel, so unless this meeting is about peace – what message are we sending.’
Former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: ‘I am appalled at the decision to allow this representative of a government that is systematically killing Palestinian children on a daily basis to visit our country.
‘The Prime Minister is proving to be absolutely tone dead to the desperate plight of the Palestinian people and the overwhelming feelings of revulsion of the British people at the brutality of the government Herzog represents.’
Labour MP Clive Lewis also said that Starmer should be careful about meeting Herzog, which he claimed could be a political statement in itself.
But Emily Thornberry, the chair of the foreign affairs committee, told the Guardian ‘efforts should be made to engage’ with him.
‘Clearly Herzog is not Netanyahu, their politics on many issues are at variance. But that said, the president’s own words have helped legitimise the collective punishment of Palestinians, language that international jurists have warned could fall foul of the genocide convention,’ she said.
Mr Herzog’s role as Israeli president is largely ceremonial and he is from a different political party to Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr Herzog’s impending visit to the UK has sparked fury among some Labour MPs as Israel intensifies its military offensive in Gaza
If Netanyahu were to travel to the UK, courts could enforce an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes in Gaza
Former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he was appalled by the decision to allow Isaac Herzog to visit the UK
If Netanyahu were to travel to the UK, courts could enforce an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Downing Street declined to comment when asked about the Israeli president’s trip, saying it would set out any visits ‘in the normal way’.
Starmer last met the Israeli president over a year ago, where he reiterated the demand for the return of hostages and ‘support for Israel’s right to self-defence’.
But in recent months he has taken a more critical position on Israel’s military campaign, which was triggered when Hamas launched its deadly attacks on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages.
In June, the UK imposed sanctions on hardine Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, while Starmer announced the UK would follow France and recognise a Palestinian state this month.
More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed since the outbreak of war, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
There are 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, 20 of whom Israel believes are still alive.
