Rishi Sunak did not propose two-state solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict with India map

What is the claim?

A video of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is circulating on X (formerly Twitter), purportedly showing him suggesting a two-state solution on an Indian map displayed on a board. The video shows Sunak seemingly explaining a two-part division between India and Israel, with the southern half of the subcontinent allotted to Israel. 

Several social media users shared the video on April 16, captioning it, “Rishi Sunak has an answer for the two-state solution.” Text inlaid in the video read, “2 state solution? What do you think?” Archives of these posts can be seen here and here. 

Users have posted a morphed video of Rishi Sunak offering an apparent two-state solution. (Screenshot: X Modified by Logically Facts)

The viral video has emerged in the backdrop of the Israel-Palestine war and refers to the history of the conflict. The two-state solution is a proposed framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by establishing Israel for Jewish people and Palestine for Palestinian people. However, the original video did not show Sunak talking about this framework or pointing at a map of India. 

What are the facts?

We found no news report about any such comments by Sunak proposing a two-state solution involving India and Israel. 

We looked through Sunak’s official YouTube channel and found a video (archive here) published on March 29, 2024, titled “Rishi Sunak: Supporting Families | Our Plan for Child Benefit.” The description read: “Prime Minister Rishi Sunak uses a flipchart to explain our plans to change Child Benefit to make it fairer and save families money.” In the video, Sunak can be seen using a flip chart to outline plans to change child benefits and government initiatives to save families money. 

Sunak’s attire, the presence of the board, and the matching background were indications that these are from the same video.

Screengrabs of the actual and the morphed video (Source: Youtube/X, Modified by Logically Facts)

On watching the video, we found the section that has been used to make the viral clip. Between the 1:23 and 1:31 timestamp, Sunak says, “That’s better and fairer. Now, it will take a little bit of time to change the system, so we’re also making changes immediately to benefit you.” This is the same audio as in the viral clip. However, at this time in the YouTube video, Sunak is actually tapping and gesturing at the board, which displays a drawing of two stick figures in a house, unlike the map of India seen in the viral video. 

Clearly, the viral video is a morphed version of the YouTube video and is being shared with false claims.

Sunak’s comments on the two-state solution

While Sunak has made no such comments involving India in the Israel-Palestine conflict or the two-state solution, the U.K prime minister is a supporter of the proposal in its actual form. In December 2023, in a video published by SkyNews (archive here), Sunak said, "Our long-standing position remains that a two-state solution is the right outcome here.”

In February 2023, Politico reported that in an interview (archive here) with English journalist Piers Morgan, Sunak reiterated that the U.K. is committed to the two-state solution and it has been “a long-standing position of the government.”

The verdict

No, U.K Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did not propose a two-state solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict using a map of India. The viral video is a manipulated version of a video where Sunak was discussing child benefits and government initiatives to save families money.