Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has doubled down on his decision to boycott Donald Trump's state banquet at Windsor Castle, insisting it remains the best way to send a message about Gaza. The Lib Dem chief acknowledged that Trump "won't listen to me directly" but hopes his absence from Wednesday's dinner will stimulate public debate that may reach the US president.
Davey described Trump as "the one person in the world who can stop this humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza. He argued the US president has unique power to pressure both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas through regional allies.
Difficult decision despite royal respect
The party leader admitted his boycott decision was "difficult" given his "huge respect" for King Charles, who is hosting the lavish Windsor Castle dinner. However, Davey expressed confidence he would have "more influence on what the Americans hear from the British side through making this stand".
Davey explained what drove his boycott: "What changed my mind was what we've seen in Gaza over the summer. The children thinned from starvation so much that you can see their skeleton, the lifeless bodies of children killed while they queued for water, the emaciated hostages that Hamas paraded."
The Liberal Democrat leader outlined specific actions Trump could take: "He can ring up Prime Minister Netanyahu and stop the fighting and the killing and get food in, and he can ring up the Qatari government and governments in the Gulf and get them to force Hamas to release the hostages."
Strategic boycott over direct dialogue
Davey acknowledged he would not have been able to speak directly with Trump at the state banquet anyway. He said he wanted to see debate "about his power to stop the killing, to get the hostages released, to get the food in, to get a peace where we can work to the two-state solution".
The Lib Dem leader warned that Britain risks missing "this moment where he can actually stop a war" if Gaza discussions are overshadowed by trade issues like reducing American tariffs on UK steel.
Palestinian UN access blocked
Davey has written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer demanding he challenge Trump over blocked Palestinian officials. Representatives from the Palestinian Authority, including President Mahmoud Abbas, have been denied US visas for the UN General Assembly later this month.
In his letter, Davey asked: "When he does so, will you call on him publicly to reverse his decision to block the attendance of Palestinian officials at the UN?" He called for the UN High-Level Summit on 22nd September to be relocated to Geneva if the visa ban continues.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
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