LONDON, November 28, 2012 (WAFA) - Over 100 British Parliament members (MPs) from across seven political parties signed a parliamentary motion supporting UN recognition of Palestine, Wednesday said a MPs press release.
The motion, tabled by Richard Burden MP, was signed by 102 MPs including former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and other former ministers from both Labor and Conservative governments.
The motion adds to the growing support within the UK for the Government to vote in favor of the Palestinian request to become a non-member observer state at the UN General Assembly this week, said the release.
It said that labor and most UK opposition parties already support UN recognition of Palestine; this weekend it was reported that the Deputy Prime Minister and the Liberal Democrats support it too.
An opinion poll by YouGov and Avaaz published last week found that a significant majority of the British public think the Government should vote in favor of the UN resolution supporting recognition of a Palestinian state alongside Israel – with 58% in favor and only 8% against.
The UK Government has not yet confirmed how it will vote at the UN General Assembly. The Foreign Secretary will make a statement in the House of Commons today about the Palestinian resolution and is expected to outline the Government’s position, it said.
Richard Burden MP, Chair of the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group, said that, “Proper recognition of Palestine by the UN General Assembly is not the same as peace in the Middle East, but it is a step on the road. Voting in favor is one way of trying to move the situation in the Middle East forward and rekindle hopes that there is a credible route to a negotiated two state solution.”
“Given the recent Gaza crisis, it is also a way of showing that there are non-violent options for the Palestinians to achieve freedom and statehood and that the international community will support these options,” he added.
“It is time to help level the playing field; an independent and recognized state of Israel alongside an independent and recognized state of Palestine. Both people realizing their legitimate right to self-determination,” he concluded.
T.R./F.R.
