‘I remember the stories of the resistance fighters that went against the British army back then … even if that’s the history, even if that is their legacy in British politics, it’s never too late to change it. And the recognition is the first step towards changing that, and I really welcome that step.’
Arab Barghouthi advocates on behalf of his father, Marwan, a Palestinian political leader commonly referred to as ‘Palestine’s Mandela’. For 23 years Marwan Barghouthi has been imprisoned in Israel, having been charged in connection with attacks that killed 26 people, including civilians. He has always proclaimed his innocence and his trial has been strongly criticised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union. On the eve of Britain’s recognition of the state of Palestine, Arab Barghouthi and Nosheen Iqbal discuss what statehood means to Palestinians, the difference British recognition will make, and what a viable Palestinian state might look like.
Patrick Wintour, the Guardian’s diplomatic editor, outlines why the UK has chosen this moment to recognise a Palestinian state, how recognition will change the nature of their diplomatic relations, and how this action is being received in the US and Israel.
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Photograph: David Cliff/EPA
