UK PM Starmer and Israeli president clash during ‘tough’ meeting

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By Andrew MacAskill and William James

LONDON (Reuters) – Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he had argued with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Downing Street on Wednesday during a “tough” meeting that covered deep disagreements over recent behaviour by each other’s country.

The meeting comes a day after Israel expanded its attacks on Hamas by launching an airstrike aimed at killing the Islamist group’s political leaders in Qatar, a British ally in the Middle East, which Starmer condemned.

Israel has been angered by Britain’s plans to join several other Western countries, including France and Canada, in recognising a Palestinian state later this month – unless Israel meets conditions including a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Things were said that were tough and strong, and clearly we can argue, because when allies meet, they can argue. We are both democracies,” Herzog said at a later Chatham House event.

He said Starmer’s plan for Palestinian statehood and his views on humanitarian aid in Gaza had been the root of the disagreement and added that he had invited the British government to undertake a fact-finding mission to Israel.

Starmer’s office said the British leader implored Herzog to change course over Gaza, expressing deep concern about the humanitarian crisis and urging Israel to allow in aid and halt offensive operations.

He reaffirmed that the UK and Israel were longstanding allies and said he remains committed to working towards an enduring peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.

Earlier, the two men briefly shook hands without smiling on the steps of Downing Street before they entered the building.

Starmer also raised with Herzog the Israeli airstrike on Qatar, condemning the incident as “completely unacceptable.”

“He said the strikes were a flagrant violation of a key partner’s sovereignty and do nothing to secure the peace we all desperately want to see,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.

The Gaza war has strained Israel’s relations with Britain and other European countries. Britain has blocked Israeli officials from attending its biggest defence trade show taking place this week.

Starmer is under pressure from politicians in his own party to take a tougher approach to Israel, but he told parliament on Wednesday that diplomacy was needed to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and to get the Israeli hostages released by Hamas.

Herzog’s role as Israel’s president is mainly ceremonial but he caused anger when he said all residents of Gaza were responsible for the Hamas-led attack on Israel after the October 7 attacks in 2023.

Asked earlier on Wednesday why he was meeting Herzog, Starmer said: “I will not give up on diplomacy, that is the politics of students.”

Wes Streeting, who is health minister in Starmer’s government, said this week that Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza was leading it to “pariah status”.

Starmer also hosted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday, where they agreed there would be “absolutely no role” for Hamas in the future governance of a Palestinian state.

Britain has promised to recognise a Palestinian state ahead of the U.N. General Assembly later this month unless Israel meets four conditions, including ending the war in Gaza and allowing more aid into the Palestinian enclave.

(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill, William James and Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Gareth Jones and Daniel Wallis)