The Cameron Declaration: recognising a Palestinian state would be a welcome breakthrough

Editorial: By forcing the question of Palestinian nationhood, the foreign secretary has found a way to turn a crisis into an opportunity – and rediscovered British statesmanship into the bargain

(Dave Brown)

While David Cameron enjoyed mixed reviews for his premiership and then suffered severe reputational damage during his brief career as a lobbyist, as a foreign secretary the now Lord Cameron is now enjoying a metamorphosis into a statesman.

It is indeed the mark of a statesman to know when to make a bold move, and Lord Cameron has certainly done so with his initiative on Palestinian nationhood.

He was admirably clear about his ambition: “We should be starting to set out what a Palestinian state would look like – what it would comprise, how it would work. As that happens, we, with allies, will look at the issue of recognising a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations. This could be one of the things that helps to make this process irreversible.”