45 Cross-Party MPs and Peers demand apology for Britain’s “war crimes” in Palestine
Forty-five cross-party MPs and Peers have signed an open letter calling on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to formally apologise for Britain’s unlawful actions in Palestine between 1917 and 1948.
The letter draws on a 400-page legal petition submitted in September 2025 by the Britain Owes Palestine campaign.
Drafted by leading human rights KCs Ben Emmerson and Danny Friedman, alongside three distinguished academics, the petition sets out detailed evidence that Britain systematically breached international law during the Mandate period. It outlines that Britain unlawfully failed to recognise Arab self-determination, lacked proper legal authority for the Balfour Declaration and the subsequent Mandate, and committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, arbitrary detention, and mass home demolitions.
The letter argues that while the UK Government’s recognition of Palestine represents progress, recognition alone is not sufficient. It calls on the Prime Minister to acknowledge Britain’s historic role in creating the conditions for the ongoing turmoil, stating that an apology is a necessary first step towards reconciliation and would strengthen Britain’s hand in any future peace process.
Layla Moran MP, who is among the most prominent signatories, said: “During its occupation of Palestine, Britain violated a series of international laws that were binding at the time. The consequences of those actions have profoundly shaped the conflict we witness today, yet successive governments have refused to acknowledge this record or offer a formal apology.
As the first British MP of Palestinian descent, this history is deeply personal to me. My great-grandfather’s memoirs vividly document daily life under the British Mandate and lay bare the reality of violence and displacement that Palestinians endured under British rule.
If Britain is serious about promoting peace in Gaza today, it must begin by confronting its historical role, recognising the harm caused, and taking meaningful responsibility for it.”
Lead petitioner Munib Al-Masri, 91-year-old Palestinian philanthropist, said: “I was a child when I was shot by British soldiers, and I still carry that memory — and shrapnel — in my body. But my story is just one among thousands.
“What Britain did in Palestine did not end when it left in 1948. The policies and violence of that period helped create the conditions for the calamity we are living through today. An official apology is about recognising that history and the harm it continues to cause.”
Saturday 7th March will mark six months since the petition was submitted, yet no response has been received from the Government.
The Government has been given until September to respond. The legal team says a failure to do so may result in judicial review proceedings.
Letter to Editor:
Britain must acknowledge its historical responsibility to Palestine
Sir,
In 1947 Britain gave away Palestine, a land we had no right to give, even under the laws of the time. We withdrew having encouraged partition whilst doing nothing to prevent the atrocities and mass expulsions that followed. The Government’s recognition of Palestine represents progress, but recognition alone is not enough. Britain must face its history and the role we played in creating this conflict.
A 400-page petition presents evidence of systematic breaches of international law during the Mandate period. The Balfour Declaration and subsequent Mandate lacked legal authority yet transformed Palestine’s political and demographic character. Britain unlawfully failed to recognise Arab self-determination. During occupation from 1917 to 1948, British forces committed war crimes including murder, torture, arbitrary detention and home demolitions.
As inconvenient as the past may be, we do ourselves a disservice by pretending it never happened. An apology wouldn’t solve the conflict but is an initial first step to Britain making peace with its own past. Britain can play a truly unique role in future peace talks and reconstruction, strengthening our hand in resolving this crisis. However, it cannot do so with this historic injustice remaining unanswered.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer should apologise so we can move towards healing this open wound.
Signed:
Layla Moran MP
Munib al-Masri, Lead Petitioner, Britain Owes Palestine
Victor Kattan, Assistant Professor in Public International Law, University of Nottingham School of Law & Legal Advisor to the Britain Owes Palestine campaign
Sarah Dyke MP
Brian Mathew MP
Manuela Perteghella MP
Graham Leadbitter MP
Nadia Whittome MP
Lord Hussain
Afzal Khan MP
Andrew George MP
Carla Denyer MP
Lord Singh of Wimbledon
Olivia Blake MP
Lord Hendy KC
Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, Canary Wharf Chaplaincy
Baroness Uddin
Brendan O'Hara MP
Baroness Sheehan
Neil Duncan-Jordan MP
Yasmin Qureshi MP
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
Kim Johnson MP
Surabhi Ranganathan, Professor of International Law, University of Cambridge
Neve Gordon, Professor of International Law, Queen Mary University of London
Rachael Maskell MP
Simon Opher MP
Professor Nehal Bhuta FRSE, Chair of Public International Law, University of Edinburgh
Wera Hobhouse MP
Baroness Janke
Navendu Mishra MP
Paula Barker MP
Lorraine Beavers MP
Tahir Ali MP
John McDonnell MP
Christine Jardine MP
Cat Eccles MP
Seamus Logan MP
Richard Burgon MP
Grahame Morris MP
Mothin Ali
Imran Hussain MP
Ian Byrne MP
Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
Stephen Flynn MP
Baroness D'Souza
Penny Green, Professor of Law and Globalisation, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Ismail Patel, Chair of Friends of Al-Aqsa
Chris Doyle, Director of Council for Arab-British Understanding
Pippa Heylings MP
Ben Maguire MP
Vikki Slade MP
Roz Savage MP
Anna Sabine MP
Baroness Hussein-Ece
Michael Mansfield KC, President, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers