Recognition of a Palestinian state as part of any peace process in the Middle East will be included as a commitment in the Labour manifesto, Sir Keir Starmer confirmed today.
The development will be seen as an attempt to reassure the left of the party, who questioned the Labour leadership's rejection of a ceasefire in the months following the October 7 attacks.
The Labour leader is thought to be attempting to win back the trust of voters who abandoned the party over its response to the war in Gaza.
Speaking to the BBC during a visit in Greater London, the Labour leader said: “That needs to be part of the process, it’s very important we have a viable Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel.”
Recognition of a Palestinian state as part of any peace process in the Middle East will be included as a commitment in the Labour manifesto, Sir Keir Starmer confirmed today
PA
He added: “It is an inalienable right of the Palestinians, it’s not in the gift of Israel, so it has to be part of the peace process.”
Asked whether this will be in the manifesto, he said: “It will be.”
The Labour manifesto, which is expected to be based around Starmer's six key pledges, is being signed off by the Shadow Cabinet today.
Union leaders will also rubber-stamp the manifesto today.
It is expected to be unveiled to the public next Thursday.
The six pledges include delivering economic stability, cutting NHS waiting lists, recruiting 6,500 new teachers, a crackdown on antisocial behaviour, launching a new border security command, and setting up Great British Energy, a publicly owned clean energy company.
The manifesto is also expected to avoid scrapping the controversial two-child benefit cap, despite pressure from unions and the left of the party.
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The limit, introduced by former prime minister David Cameron a decade ago, restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households.