By any rational measure, the Gaza peace deal is one of the most significant diplomatic achievements of recent years, a triumph of relentless American mediation, pragmatic Israeli courage, and the kind of no-nonsense deal-making that has Donald Trump’s fingerprints all over it. But not, emphatically not, the handiwork of Keir Starmer.
Let’s be absolutely clear, Keir Starmer played no role in brokering this important ceasefire.
Starmer has spent months undermining Israel, emboldening Hamas, and fuelling anti-Semitism across the United Kingdom. And now, in an act of political delusion bordering on parody, Labour is trying to claim credit for the work of the United States and its Middle Eastern partners.
It is, frankly, an insult, an insult to the victims of Hamas, to the Israelis who have endured their barbarity, and to the long-suffering people of Gaza who have been brutalised by the very group Labour has spent months indirectly legitimising.
The Delusion of Starmer’s “Key Role”
When Labour’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, declared on Sky News that “We have played a key role behind the scenes in shaping this,” one could almost hear the collective choking of diplomats from Washington to Tel Aviv.
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, wasted no time cutting through the fog. “I assure you she’s delusional,” he posted bluntly on X. “She can thank Donald Trump any time just to set the record straight.”
Delusional indeed. Here was a Labour government that only weeks ago formally recognised Palestine as a state, a move Israel said “prolonged the war by emboldening Hamas.” Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, could not have been clearer, “The message that the UK Government sent Hamas was that the longer they continue this war, they will be rewarded.”
And yet, having inflamed tensions and undermined the peace process, Starmer now flutters into Sharm El Sheikh like some self-anointed statesman, ready to bask in reflected glory.
The Ceasefire That Trump Built
Make no mistake, this ceasefire, fragile though it is, was forged by Trump and by allies who actually did the work. The former president himself spoke of a “special event,” a moment when “everybody is cheering at one time, that’s never happened before.”
He wasn’t wrong. After months of attrition and bloodshed, Trump’s 20-point peace plan has brought an extraordinary coalition to the table, Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and even the Europeans. The deal incorporates key proposals from the UK and others, yes, but that does not make Starmer a player. It makes him a spectator with a selfie stick.
As Trump boarded Air Force One, grinning and giving his trademark thumbs-up, the world saw leadership in motion. Meanwhile, Starmer was busy preparing yet another statement about “phase two” and a £20 million aid pledge, a politician perpetually chasing the optics, never the outcome.
From Photo Ops to Farce
Starmer’s foreign policy is, at heart, performative. He has prioritised photo opportunities with world leaders above resolving the appalling divisive hatred we are witnessing on British streets towards our Jewish community. The rise in anti-Semitic abuse, graffiti, and intimidation since October has been shameful, and Starmer’s Labour has done precious little to stop it.
He talks of “lasting peace” and a “stable future for both sides,” yet his actions have emboldened extremists and alienated moderates. Even members of Israel’s own government are openly mocking him. “If Starmer wants to get into this mess, be our guest,” one Israeli official told The Telegraph. “He will soon find out how they drain countries for money and often have nothing to show for it.”
That might as well be the epitaph for modern Labour, lots of spending, nothing to show.
A Statesman Without a Statecraft
For a man who once prided himself on forensic precision, Starmer’s approach to foreign policy is astonishingly woolly. He recognised Palestine before Hamas was even defeated. He misjudged the ceasefire diplomacy completely. And now, rather than acknowledge the reality, that the ceasefire was achieved by Trump, Israel, and their allies, he is attempting to rewrite history before the ink on the deal is even dry.
Labour has become a party of illusionists, painting peace signs on press releases while others do the heavy lifting.
Hope Above Hatred, But Not Thanks to Starmer
This important ceasefire is a welcome one. It puts hope above the hatred we’ve seen for too long. It represents the triumph of persistence, realism, and hard diplomacy. But let’s give credit where it’s due, to President Trump, to Israel, to Egypt, and to the coalition of nations that made it happen.
Starmer should stop trying to claim any credit for it, and perhaps spend a little more time addressing the rot of anti-Semitism and division festering at home.
Because for all his posturing, the reality is simple, this ceasefire was made in Washington, not Westminster.
And no amount of photo-ops will change that.
As Chris Rose said on X: “Remember in high school when we had to do a group project and there was always one kid who did nothing but showed up at the end to take credit? Well that kid is now Keir Starmer.”
