Freed British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari says Starmer not ‘on right side of history’ over Palestine recognition
A British-Israeli woman who was held hostage by Hamas for more than a year has said Sir Keir Starmer is “not standing on the right side of history” after his conditional pledge to recognise Palestine as a state.
In an Instagram post, Emily Damari said: “Prime Minister Starmer is not standing on the right side of history. 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.”
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Starmer reveals plan to recognise Palestine as state
Ms Damari was taken hostage after being kidnapped from her home on 7 October 2023 by Hamas gunmen who shot her in the hand and leg, as well as killing her pet dog.
She was held by Hamas for 15 months in Gaza and was released on 19 January this year, alongside two fellow female hostages, as part of the opening phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal.
After her release, she told Sir Keir in a phone call she was detained in a United Nations facility but denied medical treatment during her captivity.
She also underwent a series of operations for wounds she suffered on the day she was taken captive, when she was shot in her left hand and right leg at close range, causing her to lose two fingers and leaving her with injuries to her leg that impair her movement.
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The prime minister said on Tuesday the UK will recognise a Palestinian state by September unless Israel takes “substantive steps” to end the situation in Gaza, Israel agrees to a ceasefire, commits to a long-term sustainable peace, allows the UN to restart aid supplies and does not annexe the West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the move “rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism”.
In a statement from Downing Street after an urgent cabinet meeting on Gaza on Tuesday, Sir Keir said the UK’s “message to the terrorists of Hamas is unchanged but unequivocal: they must immediately release all of the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm, and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza”.
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves has dodged calls from her predecessor Anneliese Dodds for a wealth tax to be considered ahead of this autumn’s budget.
When Sir Keir Starmer became Labour leader in 2020, Ms Dodds was his first pick for shadow chancellor. However, she did not last long and was replaced by Ms Reeves, who then got the government job after last year’s election win.
Speaking to the Sky News political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Ms Dodds said she had examined wealth taxes when she was briefly in the shadow chancellor job and how one could be implemented.
She said: “I would hope the Treasury is considering that kind of evidence, as well as other changes that have been put forward.”
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‘Rachel Reeves would hate what you just said’
Asked today if about Ms Dodds’ intervention, Ms Reeves said: “Decisions around tax are decisions that are made at a budget and we’ll make those decisions in the appropriate way, but the number-one priority of this government is to grow the economy.
“And that means bringing more investment into Britain, creating more good jobs paying decent wages here in Britain.
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“We’ve got to get the balance right on taxation because we want that investment, we want those jobs to come here.
“That’s why we’re reforming the planning system, secured three trade deals in the first year of this Labour government, cutting back on unnecessary regulation, and reforming our pension system to unlock money for businesses to be able to invest here in the UK.”
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What is a wealth tax?
The government’s financial position is stretched ahead of the next budget, due at the end of autumn.
Ms Reeves has committed herself to not changing her fiscal rules, leaving little wiggle room to avoid tax rises or spending cuts.
This is due to the government’s inability to save money through policies like welfare reform, which were gutted due to a rebellion of backbench Labour MPs.
Last week, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds branded the suggestion of a wealth tax “daft” – but he has less influence over the writing of the budget than the chancellor.
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Meanwhile, reports from the Daily Telegraph suggested that Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner backed increasing taxes, including reinstating the pensions lifetime allowance and a higher corporation tax level for banks.
Ms Dodds also wants to see those considered.
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