A British-Israeli woman who was released after 471 days in captivity by Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists condemned Prime Minister Keir Starmer for pledging to recognize a Palestinian state if Israel doesn't agree to a ceasefire.
"Prime Minister Starmer is not standing on the right side of history," Emily Damari wrote Wednesday in an Instagram post, according to multiple media outlets. "Had he been in power during World War II, would he have advocated recognition for Nazi control of occupied countries like Holland, France or Poland? This is not diplomacy — it is a moral failure. Shame on you, Prime Minister!!!!!!"
Starmer announced Tuesday the United Kingdom will recognize a state of Palestine "unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution." He also said Hamas must release all hostages, agree to a ceasefire, disarm, and accept that it will play no part in governing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. His comments came after France last week said it would recognize a Palestinian state in September.
Starmer was rebuked by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has pledged to wipe out Hamas, politically and militarily, following the terror group's massacre of 1,200 Israeli citizens on Oct. 7, 2023, with another 250, including Damari, taken hostage.
"As a Dual British-Israeli citizen who survived 471 days in Hamas captivity, I am deeply saddened by your decision @Keir_Starmer to recognise Palestinian statehood," Damari wrote Wednesday in a post on X. "This move does not advance peace — it risks rewarding terror. It sends a dangerous message: that violence earns legitimacy."
Damari was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza during Hamas' onslaught, according to The Times of Israel. She was abducted alongside Ziv Berman, her neighbor, who rushed to her home to make sure she was safe.
Terrorists shot Damari in her left hand, and another bullet lodged in her right leg after her dog was shot in the head. Ziv Berman and his twin, Gali, are among the 50 hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip, and both reportedly are presumed to be alive.
"By legitimising a state entity while Hamas still controls Gaza and continues its campaign of terror, you are not promoting a solution; you are prolonging the conflict," Damari, who was released in January, wrote on X. "Recognition under these conditions emboldens extremists and undermines any hope for genuine peace. Shame on you!"
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an advocate for the hostages and their families created in the wake of the terrorist attack, reportedly echoed Damari's sentiments in a Wednesday statement.
"The international community — if it wants peace — must join the efforts of the U.S. and demand, before all else, the release of the hostages and then the end of the fighting," said the forum. "Abducting men, women, children and babies, and holding them in tunnels against their will, amid starvation and physical and mental abuse, cannot — must not — be the grounds for establishing a state.
"The recognition of a Palestinian state before the return of the hostages will forever be remembered as a shameful, antisemitic step that renders terror acceptable as a legitimate means of achieving political goals."
Newsmax reached out to Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office for comment.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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