UK opposition leader urged to cut ties with Israeli envoy after denying 2-state solution

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - A Muslim campaign group in the Labour Party has called on its leader Keir Starmer to cut ties with the Israeli ambassador to the UK after her "Islamophobic" rejection of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Labour Muslim Network (LMN), an inclusive organization that seeks to promote British Muslim engagement with the Labour Party, urged Starmer to ensure there are "no further engagements" with Tzipi Hotovely after her refusal to a two-state solution.

In an interview with Sky News last week, the Israeli envoy ruled out the possibility of a two-state solution, saying: "Absolutely, no."

"To deny the right of Palestine to exist as an independent state is not only an extremist position, but also completely contrary to international consensus," the LMN said in a statement on Tuesday, reminding that the right of self-determination for Palestinians and an independent Palestinian state has been the long-standing position for Labour Party, for the UK and for the international community.

It stressed that denying the right of self-determination for Palestinians and millions of Muslims is also "clearly Islamophobic."

"We are therefore writing to you as leader of the Labour Party with the expectation that no further engagements be made or platforms shared by Labour Party representatives with the current Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely," the group said.

Arguing that the ambassador is "no partner in peace," the group said any Labour representatives that share engagements or platforms with Hotovely "would not only be legitimizing her extreme positions, but could also violating our Islamophobia code for conduct."

Starmer and other figures from the party's front bench have met Hotovely on a number of occasions over the time.

In separate interviews with Sky News in October, Hotovely failed to admit there was a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying Israel is not bombing civilians in the besieged enclave.

Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip, in response to the Oct. 7 cross-border offensive by Hamas, has killed more than 19,600 Palestinians, displaced most of the besieged enclave's 2.2 million population and led to shortages of basic necessities such as food, water and medicines.

Over 60% of the infrastructure in Gaza has been destroyed or damaged, and more than 90% of the Gazan population has been displaced, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.