Britain is facing fury over recognising a Palestinian state today as Yvette Cooper pleads with Israel not to respond by settling more territory.
The US has joined the backlash at the 'performative' move, which has been condemned as a 'reward' for Hamas terrorism. Critics also accused Keir Starmer of a desperate effort to avoid being outflanked by pro-Palestine left-wingers including the Greens and Jeremy Corbyn.
The largely symbolic step has been coordinated with Canada, Australia and Portugal, and France is expected to follow suit later.
Ms Cooper, who is attending UN meetings in New York, said the UK had to act to keep hopes of a 'two-state solution' alive.
But after an incensed Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to speed up settlement of the West Bank, the Foreign Secretary said: 'We have been clear, and I have been clear to the Israeli foreign minister, we have been clear to the Israeli government, that they must not do that.'
