Between Principle and Pragmatism: Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Israel-Hamas Conflict, and the Geopolitical Minefield of UK-Iran Relations

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict, along with his broader positioning on UK-Iran relations, has become a flashpoint in British politics.

With Kemi Badenoch—now Leader of the Opposition and Conservative Party—accusing him of moral equivocation, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring Starmer “on the wrong side of history,” the debate has taken on international resonance.

This article explores the ideological and strategic foundations of Starmer’s foreign policy choices, weighs the legitimacy of his critics’ arguments, and situates UK-Iran policy in the shifting architecture of global geopolitics.

I. Introduction: From Barrister to Global Statesman

Sir Keir Starmer entered Downing Street on the promise of restoring competence and moral clarity to British governance.

Yet, scarcely months into office, he finds himself walking the tightrope of Middle Eastern diplomacy, caught between Israel’s war in Gaza, domestic political pressures, and Iran’s ever-looming shadow.

Starmer’s approach—cautious, legally rooted, and often noncommittal—has drawn fire from both international actors and domestic critics. But is this moral failure, or necessary statesmanship?

II. Starmer’s Position on Israel and Hamas: Principles under Pressure

Prime Minister Starmer has maintained continuity with longstanding UK policy: recognition of Israel’s right to self-defence and condemnation of Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

However, amid mounting Palestinian civilian casualties and accusations of disproportionate force by the IDF, Starmer has shifted slightly—voicing support for humanitarian pauses and international legal oversight, while avoiding outright condemnation of Israeli policy.

This has earned rebuke from Netanyahu, who dismissed Starmer’s caution as moral cowardice. Yet it also reflects Starmer’s core legalist worldview: a belief in rules-based internationalism, where action must be defensible not only politically, but legally.

III. Badenoch’s Challenge: Conservative Realignment or Political Posturing?

Now as Opposition Leader, Kemi Badenoch represents a rebranded, post-Sunak Conservative Party—more culturally combative and unflinching in its support for Israel.

Her challenge to Starmer, urging a more forceful alignment with Israeli policy and tougher language on Iran, signals an emerging ideological divide: between Starmer’s multilateral pragmatism and Badenoch’s ideological certitude.

However, the charge of weakness or betrayal levelled at Starmer must be scrutinised. The UK Prime Minister must consider diplomatic repercussions, international law, and domestic pluralism.

While Badenoch’s stance may appeal to certain conservative segments and pro-Israel lobbies, it lacks the nuance required of actual governance.

IV. The Iran Factor: Threads of Continuity and Change

Iran, as both a direct and indirect player in the conflict, remains central to British strategic calculation. Tehran’s support for Hamas and other proxy groups complicates any Western policy in the region.

Starmer has not radically altered UK policy—continuing to condemn Iran’s regional activities while keeping open the possibility of nuclear diplomacy.

Unlike Badenoch’s hawkish rhetoric, Starmer’s government has taken a measured approach: engaging with Gulf allies, preserving JCPOA dialogue channels, and avoiding inflammatory escalation.

This may be less emotionally satisfying for critics, but reflects the reality of Britain’s reduced hard power and reliance on coalition diplomacy.

V. Domestic Realities: Navigating a Fractured Electorate

No analysis of UK foreign policy can ignore the domestic terrain. Starmer must maintain the delicate balance between Labour’s renewed centrist appeal and its increasingly vocal progressive base, many of whom demand stronger support for Palestinian rights.

At the same time, he seeks to rebuild trust with Jewish communities after the party’s troubled past under Jeremy Corbyn.

Badenoch, on the other hand, positions the Conservatives as defenders of “Western values” and clarity in foreign affairs. Yet this clarity often collapses into rigidity, failing to account for Britain’s pluralistic society and diplomatic responsibilities.

VI. Conclusion: A Leader Caught in the Crossfire, or Defining the Future?

To label Prime Minister Keir Starmer as “on the wrong side of history” is both presumptuous and politically loaded.

History, as always, is a moving target—shaped by values, power, and hindsight. Starmer’s approach may lack rhetorical fire, but it seeks to anchor Britain in international law, multilateralism, and cautious realism.

Kemi Badenoch offers a sharper, more confrontational alternative—but one that may burn diplomatic bridges at a time when soft power and stability are most needed.

In the final measure, Starmer is not a frenemy of justice, nor an apologist for tyranny. He is a lawyer-turned-leader navigating an imperfect world—where enemies and allies alike shift, and clarity is earned not by choosing sides, but by surviving complexity.

Dr Sibangilizwe Moyo writes on Church & Governance, politics, legal, and social issues. He can be reached at [email protected]