Britain’s top diplomat said Thursday that his country could officially recognize a Palestinian state after a cease-fire in Gaza without waiting for the outcome of what could be years-long talks between Israel and the Palestinians on a two-state solution.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron, speaking to The Associated Press during a visit Thursday to Lebanon intended to tamp down regional tensions, said no recognition could come while Hamas remained in Gaza, but that it could take place while Israeli negotiations with Palestinian leaders were continuing.
U.K. recognition of an independent state of Palestine, including in the United Nations, “can’t come at the start of the process, but it doesn’t have to be the very end of the process,” said Cameron, a former British prime minister.
You’re correct there is no evidence, and in fact the people who published the story (not even journalists just people trying to write a scandalous book) eventually retracted it.
However it’s stuck because it’s the sort of thing they probably would do. The Tories are like that.
It annoys me though because there’s many many many many many reasons to criticize him, and a potentially untrue story isn’t one of them. Even if he’d actually done it, it would have probably been the least worst thing he’s done, but people repeat it because it’s funny. Unlike the other stuff which is just depressing.