“But don’t forget, we can only do this once. If we do it in a way which is tokenistic, doesn’t produce the end to this conflict, where do we go to next?”
The comments come amid mounting pressure on U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. Israel is facing growing international condemnation over scenes of starving children in the strip.
More than 200 MPs from nine parties signed a letter Friday calling for an immediate recognition of a Palestinian state, arguing this would have a “significant impact due to our historic connections.” French President Emmanuel Macron upped the ante last week, as he committed France to such a move.
Though insisting statehood is the “inalienable right” of the Palestinian people, Starmer has so far resisted slapping a timeframe on such a move. He has said recognition will happen “at a time most conducive to the prospects of peace.”
“I know many countries around the world have already done this,” Reynolds said of recognition Monday. “To be frank, to be candid, it hasn’t stopped the appalling scenes that we’re talking about this morning.
“So we’ve got to use this moment — you can only do it once. Use it in a way that gets the breakthrough that we need. And the U.S. is really important in that.”
