On Sunday, British prime minister Keir Starmer announced that his country would recognize Palestinian statehood. Speaking on Sunday, Starmer again posed Palestinian statehood in vague, conditional terms. Israel’s government is today led by a wanted war criminal, but few would suggest that Israeli statehood depends on Benjamin Netanyahu handing himself over for prosecution. Refusing to put material pressure on Israel, Starmer’s statement seems to be more about his own image-management than taking action to uphold Palestinians’ national rights. But having notionally recognized a Palestinian state, his government could at least take a few steps to begin recognizing that Palestinians are human beings.