Starmer must stand up for international law

In just three weeks, US President Donald Trump has shaken up the global order, rewritten it even. He has certainly flooded the zone and the world is now watching to see who will sink and who will swim.

How much of what Trump has pledged will materialize remains to be seen, but even if these are the opening gambits of a negotiation, they have had allies and enemies reeling. Trump’s push for the US to take over Gaza is perhaps the most jaw-dropping of all, coming not long after his “clean up” Gaza comments.

Few have felt the brunt of this whirlwind more than the UK, which always used to pride itself — to the point of an unhealthy obsession — on its “special relationship” with Washington. If you want to know what a special relationship with the US really looks and feels like, then check out the grinning Cheshire cat pose of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Trump proposed ethnically cleansing Gaza.

At a leadership level, it is harder to think of a more challenging time for a British prime minister. Keir Starmer is not in the inner circle of Trump’s loyalist core. It took a week after the inauguration for the two to have their first conversation since Trump returned to the Oval Office. Few will read too much into Trump’s statement that the two have a “very good relationship.” Questions remain as to whether Trump approved of the deluge of posts against Britain — and Starmer in particular — by his ally Elon Musk in recent weeks. He has certainly never distanced himself from them.

Without directly criticizing the president, British ministers have outlined a position that is diametrically opposed to Trump’s

So, how is Starmer handling this and how will the relationship develop? The reaction to Trump’s Middle East comments is indicative of the direction of travel. Not one British minister has directly criticized Trump’s desire to empty Gaza of its population. The phrase “ethnic cleansing” will not cross their lips. Starmer dodged a direct question about Trump and Gaza at last week’s Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament.

Without directly criticizing the president, British ministers have outlined a position that is diametrically opposed to Trump’s. “We would oppose any effort to move Palestinians in Gaza to neighboring Arab states against their will. There must be no forced displacement of Palestinians,” Development Minister Anneliese Dodds said last week. Asked countless times to condemn Trump’s comments, she resisted the temptation. Similarly, as Trump defunds UNRWA, the UK continues to offer verbal and financial support.

But what about the International Criminal Court? Again, little has been said despite the fact that the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, is a British national. He will undoubtedly be one of the officials to face US sanctions. One appropriate step that states like the UK could take is to increase funding to the International Criminal Court. More importantly, member states must reiterate their support for the arrest warrants that the court issued for both Israeli and Hamas leaders. There was a joint statement from 79 state parties to the Rome Statute, including the UK, defending the court, which was welcome, but it needs leaders to step up and make such statements personally. As a human rights lawyer, Starmer should be taking that lead.

Starmer’s inaction should be embarrassing for a man who only in September, when addressing the UN General Assembly, stated: “We must stand up for international law.” This rings hollow, as the UK remains complicit in the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza through continuing to sell it parts for F-35 planes.

It is pointless opposing Trump in isolation. The UK should help coordinate a strong joint international response

All this is simply caving in to Trump and Netanyahu. Middle East states have led the way in pushing back firmly against the forced expulsion of Palestinians, but London is only following at a distance. The opposition to what Trump has said and done should be clear and explicit. No leader of any state should be proposing ethnic cleansing anywhere.

The West Bank and Gaza are for Palestinians, not for Israel and not for the US. Palestinians do not belong in Egypt, Jordan or Saudi Arabia, let alone Morocco, Puntland or Somaliland, which are apparently also being considered. A more appropriate response from European powers would be to make the long overdue decision to recognize the state of Palestine. This is another opportunity for the UK to take the lead, not least given its historical responsibility.

Trump feeds off weakness. Those leaders who cave in will not earn his respect. Starmer will have to ensure he stands up for British interests and, just as importantly, for international law and justice.

Work on this is required now. It is pointless opposing Trump in isolation. The UK should help coordinate a strong joint international response with European, Middle East and other actors. This would render Trump’s proposals utterly meaningless.

British officials claim that Starmer will be going to see Trump within weeks. If so, he must conjure the clarity, conviction and courage to articulate not just a clear opposition to Trump’s proposals on the Middle East, but also alternative, legal ways forward to ensure the Israel-Hamas deal goes forward, that reconstruction happens without forced displacement, and that there is a proper, credible political process to end this conflict.

- Chris Doyle is director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding in London. X: @Doylech