Keir Starmer under pressure over Israeli president visit

Keir Starmer is under pressure to call off an official visit by Israeli president Isaac Herzog.

The three-day trip comes against continued strikes in Gaza and a bombing in Qatar, where peace talks are being held. The hit on Doha targeted Hamas leaders, and Israel has told all residents of Gaza City to get out ahead of a large-scale ground offensive in the besieged territory.

After the October 7 attack by Hamas, Herzog said there were “no innocent civilians” in Gaza - comments highlighted in the case South Africa has taken to the International Court of Justice at The Hague, which accuses Israel of genocide.

Herzog’s visit to London will be the first by a senior member of the Israeli government since an unannounced trip by Gideon Sa’ar in the spring.

Former Unicef UK chair Douglas Alexander MP, who was last week made Scottish secretary, has defended the visit, saying that “diplomacy involves meeting people with whom you disagree” and “it is right” that the UK Government is “engaging with politicians from across the region because the suffering is incalculable and it needs to stop”.

However, other Labour figures have taken the opposing view, with international development committee chair Sarah Champion MP posting on X to say “unless this meeting is about peace, what message are we sending?”

Around 60 MPs and peers have signed a letter organised by Labour’s Andy McDonald MP urging the government to deny Herzog entry to the UK.

The SNP and Scottish Greens have each urged the government to call the meeting off.

But in a PMQs exchange, Starmer accused critics of engaging in “the politics of students”.

In an early morning statement, SNP Middle East spokesperson Brendan O’Hara MP commented: “Ripping up that invitation has become all the more relevant given the Israeli government’s bombing in Qatar yesterday – if Keir Starmer meets Isaac Herzog today in Downing Street it will be one more shameful act from a UK Government that has been complicit in Israel’s slaughter from the very beginning.

“The strongest signal that could be sent is to stop this visit, stop all arms sales to Israel and finally sanction the Netanyahu government and all those within it who are directly responsible for horrific war crimes.”

Meanwhile, former Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “We should not be rolling out the red carpet for a man that was photographed proudly writing messages on bombs, or suggesting that newborn babies are terrorists.

“The statements made by Isaac Herzog fan the flames of hatred and division, inciting violence and destruction of an entire nation. That in itself is a war crime, and any ethical and responsible government would treat it as their duty to arrest him and investigate his role in the assault on Gaza.

 “The UK Government has instead restated their genocide denial policy, looking the other way until it is far too late to take action to help. Warm words calling for a lasting ceasefire have not been sufficient, when Labour is actively arming and supporting Israeli forces as they inflict atrocities.”

Downing Street said Starmer will raise the “intolerable situation in Gaza” and outline “action Israel must take to end the horrific suffering we're witnessing”.

The prime minister has said the Doha strikes “violate Qatar’s sovereignty and risk further escalation” across the Middle East.

A spokesperson for No 10 said Starmer had spoken with the Emir of Qatar on the matter to condemn the strike and express “gratitude at the indispensable role Qatar has played in trying to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas”.

However, the PM was forced to address the issue at Prime Minister's Questions, when SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn asked him: “Gaza is a graveyard, but rather than end arm sales, extend sanctions and stand by international law, the prime minister will today welcome into his home, a home entrusted to him by the people of these isles, the man who called for the collective punishment of the Palestinian people and who signed the artillery shells that destroyed their homes, their families and their friends, a man who will ignore every word the prime minister says.

“Would he invite Vladimir Putin into Number 10? Would he invite Benjamin Netanyahu into Number 10? What does it say of this prime minister that he will harbour this man while children starve?”

Starmer responded: “We have suspended arms that could be used in Gaza. We have sanctioned extremists. We suspended trade talks. But the point he raised is a very serious one.

“We all want an outcome that ensures peace, that the hostages get out, that aid gets in under a two-state outcome. It is the only way we will get peace in a region that has suffered conflict for a very, very long time. I will not give up on diplomacy. That is the politics of students.”