Britain Palestine Project

On Monday 22 September, Britain Palestine Project trustee Sir Vincent Fean joined Trevor Phillips on Times Radio’s The Times at One to discuss the UK’s recognition of the State of Palestine. Sir Vincent stressed that recognition cannot be a symbolic gesture alone – it must be backed by decisive measures grounded in international law. He highlighted Britain’s historic responsibilities and the urgent need for meaningful action to support Palestinian rights and lasting peace.

Recorded at the Beyond Borders International Festival in Scotland, this episode tackles one of the most pressing questions in UK and international politics: Why does recognition of the State of Palestine matter—now, in 2025?

Host Diana Safieh is joined by two leading voices:

• Humza Yousaf, former First Minister of Scotland and the first Muslim to hold the role. A lifelong advocate for justice in Palestine, he speaks movingly about the issue as both a political leader and as a family member of Palestinians trapped in Gaza.

• Sir Vincent Fean, former British Consul-General in Jerusalem and trustee of the Britain Palestine Project, who brings diplomatic and historical insight into Britain’s responsibilities and opportunities.
  

👉 In this episode, they explore:

• Why recognition is not a privilege to be granted but an inalienable right of the Palestinian people

• The historical responsibility Britain bears from the Balfour Declaration to the Mandate era

• Why recognition is necessary, though not sufficient, for ending occupation and apartheid

• How international law—from the ICJ’s advisory opinion to the Genocide Convention—sets the framework for action

• What recognition could mean for Palestinians and Israelis on the ground

• How individuals, communities, and governments can push beyond symbolism into real measures: ending arms sales, boycotts, disinvestment, and upholding international law
  

At its heart, this episode makes clear that recognition is not just about diplomacy—it is about humanity, justice, and equal rights.

🔗 Listen now on all major podcast platforms. 💡 Find resources, actions, and our MP email campaign at britainpalestineproject.org.

Recorded at the Beyond Borders International Festival in Scotland, this episode of Palestine Matters turns to the heart of the conflict: Jerusalem.

Our guests both bring deeply personal and professional perspectives on the city:

• Sir Vincent Fean, former British Consul-General in Jerusalem (2010–2014)

• Emma Gilmour (formerly Emma Williams), author of It’s Easier to Reach Heaven than the End of the Street, a memoir of life in Jerusalem with her family
  

Together, they share vivid memories - some joyful, some traumatic - of life in this sacred but contested city. They explore why Jerusalem matters so profoundly to Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike, and why it has become a flashpoint for politics, religion, and identity.

👉 Highlights from this episode:

• Contrasting personal memories: Palm Sunday celebrations vs. the trauma of a school bombing

• How separation and mistrust define everyday life in Jerusalem

• Why access to holy sites remains such a source of pain and injustice

• The symbolism of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre’s “immovable ladder”

• The enduring role of international law, recognition, and outside intervention in any path to peace

• A striking metaphor: the unshaped rock within the Dome of the Rock as a symbol of Jerusalem’s unresolved tensions
  

At the heart of the conversation is a question: can Jerusalem ever be shared, or at least respected, in a way that ensures dignity, safety, and justice for both Palestinians and Israelis?

Sunday 21 September, Britain Palestine Project trustee Sir Vincent Fean joined Justin McCarthy on RTÉ Radio to discuss the UK’s recognition of the State of Palestine. Recognition is not just symbolic – it must be given meaning through action rooted in international law. Listen back for his insights on Britain’s responsibilities and the urgent need for decisive measures.

In this episode of Palestine Matters, recorded live at the Beyond Borders International Festival in Scotland, host Brian Brivati speaks with two former senior UN officials – Andrew Gilmour and Andrew Whitley – about the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the international community’s response.

Andrew Gilmour, former UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights and current chair of UN Staff Gaza, shares his perspective on the unprecedented targeting of UN personnel, the implications for international law, and the growing frustration among UN staff.

Andrew Whitley, Chair of the Britain Palestine Project and former UNRWA Director of External Relations, reflects on the systematic dismantling of humanitarian systems, the deliberate creation of famine as a weapon of war, and the sustained attempts to delegitimise UNRWA.

Together, they examine:

• The deliberate use of starvation and displacement in Gaza.

• Western governments’ failures to uphold international law and obligations under the Genocide Convention.

• The role of the US, Europe, and the global south in shaping what comes next.

• Why the Palestinian issue has re-emerged at the heart of global politics.
  

It’s a conversation that confronts the silence of powerful states, the fragility of international law, and the urgent need for accountability and solidarity.

🔗 Palestine Matters is a collaboration between Beyond Borders Scotland and the Britain Palestine Project.

Recorded live at the Beyond Borders International Festival in Scotland, this first episode of our Palestine Matters series brings together two highly respected diplomats: Martin Griffiths (former UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs) and Sir Vincent Fean (Trustee of the Britain Palestine Project, former British Consul-General in Jerusalem).

Hosted by our Executive Director Brian Brivati, the conversation explores Britain’s role at the UN General Assembly in September, where the UK has pledged to recognise the state of Palestine alongside France, Australia, Canada, Portugal and others.

Key themes include:

• Why recognition of Palestine is not a “gift” but a legal entitlement.

• The urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including famine and displacement.

• The responsibilities of the UK and other Western governments under international law.

• How to move from condemnation of Israeli actions to meaningful political action.

• The role of the UN and whether global diplomacy can still deliver justice.

• What real accountability and hope could look like for Palestinians and Israelis alike.
  

At a time of profound crisis, this discussion asks how Britain and the international community can be held to their obligations — and how international law and conscience can be mobilised for peace.

👉 Palestine Matters is a joint podcast series from Beyond Borders Scotland and the Britain Palestine Project.

Join Lara Bird-Leakey discuss everything that has happened in the Gaza genocide since the UK Parliament went into summer recess last month.

Four weeks isn’t a long time in the grand scheme of things, but the past 31 days have seen some of the most dramatic events in Palestine since the genocide began, and some of the most significant policy decisions here in the UK.

In this episode, Lara runs through the key updates from Palestine, Israel and the UK government and discusses the impact of having no parliamentary scrutiny on government decisions while recess is on.

What can we expect to happen once parliament sits again on the 1st of September?

Has the UK government run out of road issuing condemnatory statements to Israel?

Listen to the latest episode to find out.

Join Brian and Lara for Part 2 of "The UK government is failing Palestine".

In Part 2 Lara and Brian discuss the what the UK government should do in order to comply with their legal obligations to protect Palestinians, and consider that recognition of the state of Palestine is only just the beginning.

This episode was recorded whilst the UK government were in a cabinet meeting, deciding on their position on the recognition of Palestine. Brian and Lara have recorded a short, summary episode explaining exactly what the UK government has announced and what we are hoping to see moving forwards. You can catch that brief discussion here.

If you haven’t already, check out Part of of “International Law in Crisis? The UK government is failing Palestine” here.

And to understand the current political situation regarding recognition, see the summary of France’s recognition of Palestine - a challenge and an opportunity for the UK, here.

In this urgent and powerful episode of the Britain Palestine Project podcast, BPP Chair Andrew Whitley and Trustee Sir Vincent Fean, both with decades of diplomatic and international experience, offer reflections on Britain’s historic and current role in the Israel/Palestine crisis.

As the war on Gaza intensifies and settler violence escalates in the West Bank, our speakers explore:

• Why this is a defining political moment for Britain and the world

• What the UK government must do - beyond rhetoric - to uphold international law

• The case for recognising the State of Palestine, and why it's not ‘merely symbolic’

• How France, the ICJ, and new movements within civil society (including the launch of a new UK political party) are shifting the conversation

• The devastating consequences of British inaction, and what pressure points we can use now

They also discuss the tragic murder of Palestinian activist and friend of the BPP, Owda Hathaleen, and call for justice in the face of ongoing settler violence.

📢 Call to action:

• Email your MP

• Support the BPP’s campaigns

• Subscribe to our newsletter

• Become a Friend of the Britain Palestine Project

• Share this episode and join the growing movement for justice and equal rights

🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major platforms.

👉 For more: britainpalestineproject.org

💥 Listen to our companion miniseries International Law in Crisis with Lara Bird-Leakey

#Palestine #InternationalLaw #IsraelGaza #HumanRights #UKPolitics #RecognisePalestine #EndTheOccupation #EqualRights #BPPPodcast #CeasefireNow #StopArmingIsrael

Listen to BPP Executive Director and genocide expert, Dr Brian Brivati, talk to Lara about how the UK government are legally and morally failing Palestinians.

What are the UK’s legal obligations to prevent genocide in Gaza?

Why aren’t they taking action?

Why are they just doing the bare minimum?

In Episode 5 Lara is joined by Dr Brian Brivati, Executive Director of the Britain Palestine Project, to discuss the legal basis for the UK government taking further action against Israel. Brain set out the position of the Britain Palestine Project in a call that we released last week.

The demands contained within the call are rooted in the Provisional Measures directed by the ICJ in the case of South Africa v Israel.

In this episode, Brian explains that all that the Britain Palestine Project are demanding is that the UK government do more than the bare minimum that is required by law - but that they still continue to fall short.

(The link to the Geneva Convention Common Article 1).

Listen along to hear more about what the Britain Palestine Project are demanding.