Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
The UK formally recognized Palestine in 2025 to protect the viability of a two-state solution and create a path towards lasting peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people. However, many would say the act is too little, and too late.
On April 19, Israel’s Minister of Defense and Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, presided over a ceremony in an illegal settlement in the Occupied West Bank and said, “We are abolishing the disgrace of expulsion, killing the idea of the Palestinian state, and returning to ”
Under international law, the settlements populated by Israeli Jews in the West Bank are illegal. But, that hasn’t stopped Israel from grabbing more and more land in the West Bank, and Gaza.
Since Israeli military operations intensified in January 2025, Palestinian refugees have been systematically targeted resulting in a mass deportation from camps in the northern West Bank. Along with the outlawing of UNRWA, the humanitarian organization, 40,000 Palestinians have been forced from their homes, in the largest forced displacement witnessed in the West Bank since 1967.
The UK likes to portray their government as a liberal democracy, with religious freedom, and a deep respect for human rights. Yet, the UK blindly supports Israel, which has deprived 5 million Palestinians their basic human rights, and religious freedom.
Democracy does not condone occupation, and occupation cannot be defended legally.
In 2024, the International Court of Justice deemed the occupation of the West Bank was illegal, and called for the immediate end to occupation. But, the UK took no steps to sanction Israel in order to force change.
The U.S. is the biggest supporter of Israel, and even during the genocide in Gaza, the U.S. kept the cash and weapons flowing freely to Tel Aviv. The UK has traditionally been a loyal follower of every policy written in Washington. Critics have dubbed the UK a ‘Lap Dog’ of the U.S. London continues to support Israel regardless of their disdain of democracy and human rights.
Great Britain feels a historic guilt and shame over their role in the destruction of Palestine, and the formation of Israel. Similar to the collective guilt and shame the German people feel when looking back at the events of WW2 and the holocaust.
In 1948, at least 750,000 Palestinians were expelled by the British during the termination of their mandate.
Britain allowed for the founding of the State of Israel, despite Britain’s responsibility to protect the population in the face of ethnic cleansing.
During the British Mandate of Palestine, the British assisted in massive immigration of European Jews, while promising the native Arab population their freedom and independence in exchange for fighting alongside the British and American forces to defeat Germany and Turkey in WW1.
The Arabs won the war in 1917, but got occupation by Britain and France as their reward. The Balfour Declaration in 1917 pledged to establish a national home for the Jewish people.
British Palestine was established in 1920 from that portion of the Ottoman Empire given to the British to manage after World War I.
In 1936, British Palestine was in chaos. After rising Jewish immigration and economic dominance, Arab Palestinians revolted against the British, attacking military installations.
In May 1948, Britain left Palestine and handed over authority enabling Zionist armed militias, which resulted in the Nakba, the term used to describe the expulsion of at least 750,000 Palestinians from their homes, and turning them into refugees.
In 2011, the U.S.-UK war on Syria began. U.S. President Obama and the UK Prime Minister David Cameron worked as a team to support fighters traveling to Syria to overthrow the government, for the benefit of Israel. Syria had been a transit route for weapons and supplies coming from Iran to Lebanon.
The UK used the Syrian branch the Muslim Brotherhood to coordinate the political, and armed groups used to fight for regime change.
Hundreds of British citizens were allowed to go to Syria to fight for the U.S.-UK military goals. British military experts and intelligence agents provided essential supplies and services to the armed groups. UK satellite imagery was freely provided to the armed fighters, who were classified as terrorist groups inside London, but on Syrian soil they were ‘freedom fighters’.
By 2018, at least 400 British fighters had returned from Syria, creating a national security nightmare.
Today, the UK is in political turmoil with one of the key issues being Islamic extremist ideology, which has been allowed to flourish in the UK. British non-Muslims feel threatened and see their government has taken no meaningful steps to safeguard their rights.
In 2015, the UK government released a review which concluded the Muslim Brotherhood acts as an extremist organization, and aspects of their ideology is directly opposed to British values of a secular democracy. However, bowing to the extreme pressure of the Muslim Brotherhood, which permeates British society, charities, and governmental institutions, the group was not banned.
British intelligence used the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1940’s and 1950’s as a tool for influence in countering political moves in Egypt and elsewhere, after making contact with the group in 1941, and began financing the group in 1942.
In 1956, British agents were exposed in a plot opposing Egyptian President Nasser. The agents attempted to create a ‘false-flag’ by encouraging extremist students to protest, with a plan for the British to intervene.
The British did not actually invent the Muslim Brotherhood, but they were interested in allowing it to flourish, in order to benefit from the group. This historical tie between the UK government today, and the past history of the Muslim Brotherhood may be a factor in the UK decision to not ban the group entirely.
Analysts characterize the current Israeli governmental strategy as a ‘de facto’ annexation of the West Bank.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accelerated efforts to integrate the West Bank into Israeli administrative control.
Earlier this year, Netanyahu’s cabinet approved land registration in the West Bank for the first time since 1967. Palestinians are required to present proof of ownership of their homes or land, otherwise it can be confiscated as ‘state land’. Palestinians have been in continuous possession of their homes and lands for hundreds of years, and the Israelis are using that historical presence, long before the European Jews arrived, as a pretext to steal the land.
The extremist government of Netanyahu also wants to annex Gaza, but due to U.S. President Trump’s involvement, they are not taking formal actions. Smotrich has called for the annexation of Gaza and the establishment of Israeli Jewish settlements there.
Behind the scenes, the Israelis are waiting for Trump’s Board of Peace to fail, and the International Stabilization Force to fail to materialize. When the time is right, the Israelis will move in to take Gaza forever.
If the 1948 Nakba was ‘part one’ of the British complicity in the destruction of Palestine, then the current de facto annexing of the West Bank is ‘part two’. The UK has taken no steps to challenge or sanction Israel for their government’s plan to annex both Gaza and the West Bank. London stands silent in the face of the final destruction of Palestine. The British are finally finishing the job they started in 1948.
Steven Sahiounie is a two-time award-winning journalist.
