Israel upset that UK, French ministers removed solidarity lapel pins

Israelis have expressed their anger at British Foreign Minister David Lammy and his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne for removing yellow solidarity pins from their lapels when they met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Ramallah on Friday. The two ministers wore the pins, which symbolise solidarity with the Israeli hostages, during their meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz but removed them when they met with Mustafa.

Britain’s Mail on Sunday quoted Eylon Levy, a former spokesman for the Israeli government, for example, as saying on X: “Just imagine if the UK and French foreign ministers had made the tiny, effortless gesture of keeping the hostage pin for their meeting with the Palestinian PM. It would have sent a message: Stop making excuses for Hamas. Tell it to free the hostages — now!”

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Israeli news reports also stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to meet with Lammy during his visit to Israel on Friday because the new British government has decided to withdraw objections to the International Criminal Court’s proposed issue of arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. According to Channel 13 News and the Times of Israel, the British government submitted several requests for Lammy to meet Netanyahu, but they were denied, under the pretext of a “scheduling conflict”.

However, according to British website Middle East Eye, quoting a Foreign Office source, “There had been no plans for David Lammy to meet Netanyahu.”

In late July, Downing Street announced that the Labour government under Keir Starmer had withdrawn the ICC objection launched by its Conservative predecessor. “This was a proposal from the previous government… and I can confirm that the government will not adopt it, in line with our firm position that the decision is up to the court,” said a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister’s Office.

A statement issued by his office said that Mustafa discussed with the two ministers the needs for greater “efforts to stop the war of extermination against our people in the Gaza Strip, to improve relief efforts in the Gaza Strip, and to stop the occupation army and settlers’ escalations and their attacks in the West Bank.”

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