The unconditional recognition of a Palestinian State by the British Government at the forthcoming annual United Nations General Assembly, will prove to be a historic error of foreign policy, which will only impede the cause of peace.
It is a reward for terrorism, while the hostages remain in chains, and has been celebrated by Hamas as “one of the fruits of 7th October.”
The intended recognition is not contingent upon a functioning or democratic Palestinian government, nor even upon the most basic commitment to a peaceful future. It does not require an end to the shameful payment of stipends to the families of terrorists, nor the reform of an education system that teaches children to hate Jews. Astonishingly, it is not even conditional upon the release of the 48 hostages who remain in captivity.
I call on our Government to pause and reflect on the calamitous impact of this approach for both Israelis and Palestinians. I urge them to act with the moral courage necessary to bring peace nearer, not to push it further away.
STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
30 July 2025
British hostage families are deeply concerned that hostages have been made a bargaining chip by the UK in its Palestinian State declaration statement
Since October 2023, we have represented the 7 families of the 10 hostages held by Hamas who are either British or have very close British ties, including British citizens Emily Damari (released in February 2025) and Nadav Popplewell (murdered in June 2024). We continue to represent a number of families including those of remaining hostages Avinatan Or, who is presumed alive and whose mother is British, and Yossi Sharabi, whose body is held by Hamas.
For almost two years, the British hostage families have encouraged the U.K. to use any leverage it has to help secure the release of their loved ones. They have sat in 10 Downing Street with successive Prime Ministers and Foreign Secretaries who have looked them in the eyes and promised the U.K. will do everything in its power to secure the immediate and unconditional release of their loved ones, whose detention is unambiguously a war crime.
We are concerned that the UK’s proposal risks delaying the release of the hostages. This is because the UK has said that it will recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel agrees a ceasefire. But the risk is that Hamas will continue to refuse to a ceasefire because if it agrees to one this would make U.K. recognition less likely.
The families are therefore deeply concerned that the U.K.’s approach risks disincentivising Hamas from releasing the hostages. This risks doing exactly what the Prime Minister’s statement says the U.K. will not do: reward Hamas for its heinous and illegal acts.
The British hostage families take no position on the wider politics. Their concern is to bring their loved ones home, and time is fast running out. They therefore implore the Prime Minister to provide clarity and confirm, unambiguously, that Hamas will not be rewarded and that the U.K. will not take any substantive steps until all the hostages are free.
Adam Rose
Adam Wagner KC
Lawyers for British hostage families
@TeamTAO_@TracyAnnO@Hamps_Theatre I follow you and love your work. I was realy saddened today by the Jewish artists cancelled at Edinburgh and have an idea with which I think you could help - how can I contact you less publicly?
Glastonbury has become a festival of hate today and descended into barbaric chants against Israel and the Jewish people.
Glastonbury is a festival I once called home. A dozen or so times, I attended. I made magazines onsite. I led a team of scores of talented writers and photographers with the NME. I went as part of team BBC, as part of Billboard, as part of Q, as part of Vulture. I grew up there. I am not just heartbroken. I am dismayed. I am disgusted.
Emily Eavis, you should go to Re’em and see what happened at a music festival in Southern Israel on the 7th of October, 2023. What happened to you?
A Jew x
@TracyAnnO@SimonMcCoyTV I think the public votes across the participating countries was quite telling as are the sour grapes being spat out across the MSM at the thought of another triumph for Israeli singers. Mazel Tov to @YuvalRaphael_IL a brave woman who defeated death to make Israel proud!
I am fed up. Really fed up.
I am sick of people telling me it won’t happen again. I so had enough of people telling me this isn’t Europe in the 40s. I am so fed up with people telling me this time is different. That I am being hysterical and alarmist.
Are you blind? Like for real, how can anyone in their right mind say it won’t happen again??
How deep is your head in the sand? It won’t happen again?! What exactly won’t happen?
Jewish businesses won’t be targeted again?
Synagogues won’t be vandalized and have their windows shattered? That won’t happen again?
Jews won’t be banned from doing business again? Today is Wednesday, April 30th and today, I had not one, but two friends show me evidence that they were rejected for a business deal because the person was protesting the “Genocide in Gaza”. Neither one of these people served in the IDF and neither one of them are Israeli. Know what they are? Jews.
So what is it exactly that won’t happen again? Jews won’t be abused, discriminated against, and assaulted in academic institutions? That won’t happen again?
There won’t be Jew haters in positions of power like in congress for example? Or in parliaments around the world? That?
There won’t be antisemitism in courts? Like the international court of “Justice” for example? That won’t happen again?
What won’t happen? Blatantly antisemitic politicians won’t be elected again? That won’t happen? Hi, Canada. I’m looking at you.
What is it exactly that you think won’t happen again?
Jews won’t be spat on and beaten in broad daylight in major cities? That? That’s what you think won’t happen again?
Jew hatred won’t get international diplomatic support? Like say from Ireland, France, South Africa, and Australia to name a few examples?
You know who else said it won’t happen again? That it could never happen there? That this time was different? German Jews.
They saw all of the things I mentioned above happening and if anyone dared raise a red flag, want to know what they told them?
They said to stop being hysterical. They told them they’re being an alarmist. They told them that Germany isn’t Spain and that it could never happen there. Germany was too “enlightened”.
So what has to happen for everyone to stop spreading the lie that it won’t happen again?
That’s a serious question.
Is there an event that, if that event happens, you’ll say “Ok I was wrong. It’s happening.”?
What is that event?
Do we have to have concentration camps? Everything else we’ll ignore? We have to wait till there’s mass butchering of Jews? Only that will make us realize we were wrong?
My whole life I wondered why the German Jews didn’t read the writing on the wall.
I no longer wonder. I now know exactly what they told themselves as they ignored the events around them.
They said Germany has been good to them and to their families. They said that they were more German than Jewish so they were safe. They said they aren’t going to run away like cowards. That they’ll stick around and fight. They said that those who did leave were conspiracy theorists and they were making a mistake by leaving.
The writing was on the wall but they refused to see it because they didn’t want to see it.
Today the writing is on the wall and if in Germany, you could have ignored the rhetoric and the events that were transpiring, today, we have social media and today, you cannot ignore what’s happening.
All you have to do is open Twitter and search for the word ‘Jew’. I wouldn’t recommend it. Not for the weak of heart.
There is absolutely no way to not read the writing on the wall today. It is right in your face! It is filling up our feeds.
Today, on top of all the antisemitic Jew hating criminals carrying out the violent acts, you have millions of people cheering them on on social media.
As these fires blaze, the internet is flooded with Jew haters cheering on the fires proudly hoping for more dead Jews.
So what it is exactly that you think won’t happen again?
And most importantly, will you ever admit that you were wrong about this like Jews were wrong in every generation when they said it won’t happen here? If you are honest, then ask yourself what has to happen for you to realize that it IS happening again right before your eyes?
What has to happen?
And let me say one more thing.
One can argue that the German Jews had nowhere to go. That countries were closing their borders to Jews so they were stuck. Today, you have Israel. We are waiting for you over here.
And don’t you dare come at me with “Oh, like Israel is so great. Look at what’s going on there! You’re in a war!”
Yea, we are. And you’re staying there and abandoning your brothers and sisters as we fight an existential war? You cool with that?
And as I’ve said many times, in Israel, you know who your enemy is. In Israel, if you’re in trouble, people will stop to help you. In Israel, you have an army that exists for one reason and one reason only, to protect you. Sure, Israel is not perfect. Yes, 10/7 was a horrible day and we failed on that day. Yes, Israel is messy. There is internal fighting. Even hatred. Not sugarcoating that or ignoring it.
But it’s your home. It’s the Jewish home. It’s where you can build a life, not despite being Jewish, like in other places, but here, you can build an amazing life BECAUSE you’re Jewish.
With all the balagan in Israel, and there’s enough of it to go around, this is our country, our only home, and together, as a nation, we can, we must work to improve it.
Families sometimes have internal fighting. Homes can get messy. But that doesn’t make it not your family or not your home.
Sure, America was good to you. Key word is ‘was’.
The UK was good to you. Was.
Australia was good to you. Was.
South Africa. Was.
Was. Was. Was. Was.
All of these places were good to us until they weren’t and we have reached that point.
So don’t tell me it won’t happen again. You want to stay put? Then have some integrity and admit that you know full well what happens next and you’re choosing to stay there, to let your brothers and sisters here do the fighting, and to make the seriously absurd statement of “It happened in every generation but it won’t happen here.”
I don’t think I need to tell you how dumb that statement sounds.
At least be honest with yourself and admit you’re making a conscious decision to ignore the very obvious writing on the wall.
It’s happening and you cannot possibly ignore it anymore.
I got this message on instagram today.
“Yesterday I took my mom to Princess Margaret cancer centre in Toronto.
They gave us this to fill out.
You know how you always say Jews come home?
It’s not safe in Canada
You win.”
I looked at the form this person showed me and I couldn’t believe my eyes.
It is a questionnaire given to patients at Canada’s leading cancer center. One of the questions is about the person’s ethnicity.
The list to choose from was long, very long. It even included “Palestinian”.
Guess what it didn’t include?
Jewish.
Please, whoever you are and wherever you are, read the writing on the wall. Come here and help us improve this country. Be a part of the solution. Be a part of Jewish history. Defend your people. Build our future. Come home.
But first, open your eyes and read the very clear writing.
And of course, Shawarma is on me. (People think this is a joke. I sat with an Oleh this week who reminded me of this promise. I bought him the best shawarma he’s ever had in his life. It’s a real offer, ya know, just in case everything else didn’t convince you, surely, shawarma will! 😂
We prayed for thousands of years about the ingathering of the exiles. That Jews from around the world would come back to Israel.
Today; God has finally answered our prayers. He is giving us whatever we need to come home, but it’s us who are not fulfilling our part.
Let’s not pray about coming back to Jerusalem. Let’s just do it. It’s a 12 hour flight and you’re home.
He promised to bring us back on the wings of eagles and he delivered on that promise.
See you soon.
Free but tormented until the last by masked faces of hate and a chorus of ‘Death to all Jews.’ If your reaction to this is; ‘well, what about…’ then you are not a lover of peace, you do not care about a Palestinian state. You just hate Jews.🎗️