Donald Trump has accused countries recognising a Palestinian state of “encouraging” continued war and rewarding terror group Hamas – just days after Keir Starmer announced that the UK had recognised Palestine. The US President also claimed Britain was being “ruined” by uncontrolled immigration, had a “suicidal” energy policy and was adopting Sharia law, in a fiery tirade at the United Nations.
Speaking one week after a pageantry-filled state visit to the United Kingdom, Mr Trump praised Sir Keir Starmer as someone “I respect and like a lot” but repeatedly criticised the UK in a lengthy speech about the state of the world. He attacked nations that have announced they will recognise a Palestinian state. Sir Keir announced he was recognising Palestine on Sunday, while France, Canada, Australia and Portugal have recognised Palestine in recent days.
Highlighting the terrorist attack against Israel on October 7 2023, carried out by the Hamas terror group that controls Gaza, he told the United Nations: “As if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body is seeking to unilaterally recognise a Palestine state.
“The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists, for their atrocities. This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities, including October 7 even while they refuse to release the hostages or accept a ceasefire.”
President Trump said Hamas had “repeatedly rejected reasonable offers to make peace”, but said he wanted to “immediately” end the war in Gaza.
In a speech to diplomats and world leaders gathered at the UN General Assembly in New York, Mr Trump said “the crisis of uncontrolled migration” was the biggest political issue if our time. He said: “Your countries are being ruined.”
The President said: “Europe is in serious trouble, They are being invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody has never seen before .. and nobody is doing anything to change it, to get them out.”
And he gave the United Kingdom as an example, saying: “I look at London, where you have a terrible mayor, terrible, terrible mayor, and it’s been changed, it’s been so changed.
“Now they want to go to sharia law. But you are in a different country, you can’t do that.
“Both the immigration and their suicidal energy ideas will be the death of Western Europe if something isn’t done immediately. This cannot be sustained.””
The President went on to condemn renewable energy as “a green scam”, calling it “the most expensive energy ever conceived”. He claimed many countries in Europe are “on the brink of destruction because of the green energy agenda.”
And once again he highlighted the UK, criticising the Government for discouraging exploitation of North Sea oil and gas. Mr Trump said: “They have given up their powerful edge, a lot of the countries that we’re talking about, and oil and gas, such as closing the great North Sea oil.
“Aberdeen was the oil capital of Europe, and there’s tremendous oil that hasn’t been found in the North Sea.”
He added: “They essentially closed it by making it so highly taxed. .. what a tremendous asset to the United Kingdom, and I hope the Prime minister is listening.”
Revealing that he repeatedly raised the topic with Sir Keir during the state visit, the US President added: “I want to see them do well. I want to stop seeing them ruining that beautiful Scottish and English countryside with windmills and massive solar panels that go seven miles by seven miles, taking away farmland.”
The UK wasn’t the only country in the President’s sights. He also condemned European nations that support Ukraine but are continuing to buy oil and gas from Russia, calling their stance “embarrassing”. The UK has already banned the import of Russian oil and gas products.
Confirming his determination to end the war in Ukraine, Mr Trump threatened “a very strong round of powerful tariffs” on Russia.
And Mr Trump suggested the Covid pandemic was a man-made result of experimentation. He said: “Just a few years ago, reckless experiments overseas gave us a devastating global pandemic.”
There was no response to the speech from Downing Street, which has adopted a policy of hugging Mr Trump close and refusing to respond to any provocation from the White House, but Labour backbenchers responded furiously to criticism of the London mayor.
Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq described Mr Trump’s comments as “blatant bare-faced lies”. Sir Sadiq Khan’s office said it would not “dignify” Donald Trump’s “appalling and bigoted comments” by responding to them.
