A Tale of Two Policies: US and UK Publicly Diverge on Palestine

The “special relationship” became a tale of two policies on Thursday, as the United States and the United Kingdom publicly diverged on the issue of Palestinian statehood. President Donald Trump’s clear statement of opposition to the UK’s recognition plan, made alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, put this growing divide on the world stage.
President Trump championed the American policy of “earned statehood,” which posits that recognition can only be granted after a comprehensive peace treaty has been signed. The U.S. believes any other path is a dangerous shortcut. This was the rationale behind Washington’s recent vote against a UN resolution supporting a two-state solution, a move that left it isolated but resolute.
Prime Minister Starmer, in contrast, presented the UK’s policy of “catalytic recognition.” He argued that after years of failure, the international community must use new tools, and that granting recognition could be the “catalyst” that finally leads to a successful negotiation. It’s a strategy of using the goal to jump-start the process.
This public divergence highlights a fundamental disagreement on cause and effect in diplomacy. The U.S. believes a successful peace process will cause the creation of a state. The UK now believes that the diplomatic creation of a state can help cause a successful peace process.
The state visit, meant to symbolize unity, instead symbolized this strategic split. Starmer’s decision to delay the recognition is a temporary measure to ensure amity, but the underlying policy difference is now a defining feature of the current US-UK relationship, posing a significant challenge for future collaboration.