Trump gives Starmer the green light to recognise a Palestinian state

Donald Trump has given Keir Starmer the green light to go ahead and recognise the state of Palestine.

It came as the prime minister met with the US president at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland for crucial talks on the Middle East crisis, trade and Ukraine.

Speaking to journalists ahead of their meeting in Scotland, the US president took a very different tone to his secretary of state Marco Rubio who last Friday condemned French president Emmanuel Macron for going ahead in recognising Palestine.

President Trump and Sir Keir appeared to be on the same page in wanting to end the hunger in the besieged territory, with the UK set to lead a new peace process with American support.

On the political issue vexing Sir Keir Starmer over recognising Palestine as a state, Mr Trump said: “I’m not going to take a position. I don’t mind him [Sir Keir] taking a position. I’m looking to getting people fed right now. That’s the number one position, because you have a lot of starving people.”

He also made it very clear that he does not agree with Benjamin Netanyahu, after the Israeli PM claimed “nobody is starving in Gaza”.

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He said: “Based on television I would say [on agreeing with Netanyahu] ‘not particularly’, because those children look pretty hungry to me.”

He also was not enthused about Israel’s tactics saying that nobody was coming out of the crisis well.

“It’s a real mess,” he added.

But the US president warned that Hamas will not release its final 20 hostages and that was now the sticking point.

The issue of recognising Palestine has moved up Sir Keir’s agenda in the last week with the issue set to dominate a cabinet meeting this week with ministers deeply divided over what to do.

But with a threat on his left flank from Jeremy Corbyn’s new party and its support from so-called “Gaza independents” and more than 250 MPs from nine political parties signing a letter calling for recognition, the prime minister is under pressure to act.

Sir Keir made a point of thanking President Trump over his efforts in the Middle East.

The prime minister appears to be putting together a plan for peace there following his talks over the weekend with Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz in the E3 group of leaders.

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The prime minister told journalists: “It’s an absolute catastrophe [in Gaza]. Nobody wants to see that. And I think people in Britain are revolted at seeing what they’re seeing on their screen. So we’ve got to get to that ceasefire.

Turning to Mr Trump, he added: “Thank you, Mr President, for leading on that, and also to just get more and more aid in. And again, America has done a lot on this.”

The two were also set to discuss the war in Ukraine, with President Trump again emphasising that he is losing patience with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

He said: “We thought we had that settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kiev and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever, you have bodies lying all over the street. And I say that’s not the way to do it. So we’ll see what happens with that. I’m very disappointed.”