In recent days, members of both the Labour and Conservative parties have publicly urged the UK Government to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state. These calls are not framed by peace agreements or demilitarisation, but by political expediency, international pressure, and the misplaced desire to appease radicalised elements of public discourse.

They come just days after British authorities foiled a terrorist plot against Israel’s embassy in London—a stark reminder that the threat of violence is not merely a foreign issue, but a domestic one. It is in this context that we say clearly: recognising a Palestinian state in its current form is not a step toward peace, but a reward for terror.

To do so would:

• Bestow international legitimacy on political structures infiltrated and dominated by terror groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad;

• Undermine the UK’s commitment to a negotiated two-state solution grounded in international law and mutual recognition;

• Validate a campaign of violence that has deliberately targeted civilians, both abroad and on British streets;

• Further destabilise Britain’s own national security by emboldening extremist networks operating within the UK.

At a time when the threat of terror is metastasising globally, the UK must act with moral consistency. Instead of legitimising the ideological infrastructure of violence, we should be moving decisively to proscribe those organisations that export, glorify, or enable terror.

The Case for Proscription: Houthis, IRGC, Palestine Action

The British public would be far better served—not by recognising a Palestinian quasi-state that remains a proxy for regional aggression—but by taking legal and political action against the real threats that endanger our citizens and allies alike.

• The Houthis, armed and financed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), have engaged in sustained, unprovoked attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, endangering global trade and British personnel. Their use of Iranian ballistic technology, their ideological allegiance to Khomeinist extremism, and their glorification of mass violence all qualify them as a clear and present danger under the Terrorism Act 2000.

• The IRGC, already proscribed by the United States and several European partners, has orchestrated assassination plots on UK soil, surveilled British Jewish institutions, and coordinates with global proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas. The UK’s failure to proscribe the IRGC—despite overwhelming evidence—leaves a glaring hole in our counter-terrorism framework and undermines Britain’s commitment to national security.

• Palestine Action, a domestic extremist group masquerading as a protest movement, has systematically targeted Jewish-owned businesses, vandalised property, and glorified terrorism. Its tactics have gone far beyond civil disobedience into the realm of ideological intimidation. Their open support for Hamas and their celebration of violent resistance must be met with the full force of the law, not tepid political indulgence.

These groups, whether foreign or domestic, are united not by national identity but by an ideological commitment to the dismantling of democratic values, the delegitimisation of Israel, and the justification of violence against civilians. They are not peace-seekers. They are political arsonists.

We Must Stand For Peace - But Real Peace

Recognition is not reconciliation. It is a political act with legal weight and moral consequence. To extend recognition now, in the shadow of the October 7 massacre, while hostages remain in captivity and Israel continues to defend itself against genocidal threats, is not diplomacy. It is complicity.

Britain must make clear that statehood comes through negotiation, not extortion. That terror will not be rewarded with legitimacy. And that our national interest is best protected when we proscribe—not appease—those who seek to undermine it.

We call on our supporters to act. Write to your MPs. Demand consistency. Demand courage. Demand a foreign policy grounded in truth and justice—not in fear of protest or the illusions of moral relativism.

Recognition without peace is not peace. It is surrender.

What We Expect From You

We are entering a defining moment in Britain’s political and moral life.

Calls from both Conservative and Labour MPs for the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state—in the absence of peace, disarmament, or democratic reform—represent not just a failure of judgement, but a collapse of principle. Our campaign, Recognition Without Peace is Recognition of Terror, was launched to push back—clearly, powerfully, and unapologetically.

To support this effort, we are preparing a booklet that will be distributed to state representatives and community leaders. It will offer the public and policymakers alike the historical context, legal frameworks, and strategic analysis necessary to oppose recognition in its current form. It will also make the case for urgently proscribing dangerous extremist organisations, both domestic and foreign.

We are proud to include in this campaign our latest policy briefing on the Houthis, commissioned from the Forum for Foreign Relations. This report provides a thorough breakdown of the group’s operations, ideological foundations, Iranian sponsorship, and the direct threat it poses to UK national security and international maritime law. The Houthis' ongoing attacks on commercial shipping and Western targets make a compelling case for immediate proscription under UK terrorism legislation.

This is not about partisan politics. It is about preserving the values that hold democratic society together: peace built through negotiation, justice anchored in truth, and the refusal to reward violence with legitimacy.

But for this to resonate, we need your voice.

Here’s what we are asking from you:

• Write to your MP – Use our model letter to demand an end to premature recognition and support the proscription of terror-affiliated entities like the Houthis, the IRGC, and Palestine Action.

• Distribute the campaign booklet – Once released, share it within your community, with local leaders, educators, and officials. It will be your tool for facts-based advocacy.

• Amplify our message – Share updates, graphics, and statements across your platforms. Help us out-voice those who excuse or glorify terror.

• Stay engaged – Join our email list and campaign channels to receive the booklet, action alerts, and information on upcoming advocacy events.

We cannot afford to remain silent while extremists are legitimised and our political leaders equivocate in the face of violence.

Recognition without peace is not diplomacy—it is surrender. Let us be the voice of clarity in a sea of appeasement. Let us be the line that cannot be crossed.

Model Letter

Subject: Urgent: Oppose Unilateral Recognition of a Palestinian State and Proscribe Extremist Groups Threatening the UK

Dear [MP's Name],

I am writing to you as a constituent with grave concerns regarding recent calls by members of Parliament to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state. I urge you to oppose such recognition in the strongest terms, and instead support action that protects British national security and upholds this country’s longstanding commitment to peace through negotiation.

The situation in Gaza and the broader Middle East is undeniably tragic. However, recognising a Palestinian state at this juncture—absent any peace agreement, demilitarisation, or democratic reform—would constitute not a step toward peace, but a dangerous political endorsement of actors and structures complicit in terrorism.

As you will be aware, Hamas remains embedded in Palestinian governance, its leaders unrepentant in their genocidal ambitions. Its October 7 massacre—the largest antisemitic pogrom since the Holocaust—demonstrated the utter moral depravity of this organisation. It should be unthinkable that Britain, a nation that prides itself on defending human rights and international law, would bestow diplomatic legitimacy upon an entity so profoundly corrupted by hatred.

To proceed with unilateral recognition under current circumstances would not only reward terror but embolden those in Britain who celebrate it.

We have already witnessed the consequences. From mass glorifications of violence in our streets to the foiled terrorist plot against Israel’s embassy in London, the spillover effects are clear and present. Instead of symbolic gestures that serve no strategic purpose, the UK should focus on dismantling the networks that enable and export extremism.

Specifically, I call upon you to support the proscription of the Houthis, whose attacks on commercial shipping have endangered international trade and British lives; the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has coordinated assassination attempts and incitement on UK soil; and Palestine Action, whose campaign of targeted harassment, vandalism, and glorification of violence poses a growing threat to Jewish communities and democratic institutions.

To delay such proscription is to leave the door open to further radicalisation, embolden extremist actors, and betray Britain’s most basic security obligations.

Recognition of Palestinian statehood should follow negotiated peace, the disarmament of terror groups, and the establishment of a legitimate and accountable Palestinian leadership—not pressure from the street, nor fear of unrest.

I urge you to stand firm. Do not legitimise terror. Do not capitulate to extremism. Instead, defend the values that make Britain strong: truth, justice, and the unwavering defence of life and liberty.

Yours sincerely,